Town begins ground testing at former City Beach quarry
Published on 20 October 2026
Ground testing will begin at the former quarry at 3 Alkoomie Terrace, City Beach, on Monday 12 October 2026 to help the Town of Cambridge assess the land’s suitability for future use.
Given the site's former use, the Town manages a Site Management Plan approved by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, which requires annual auditing to ensure the site retains an appropriate capped layer on the surface. This layer covers the buried waste and helps prevent people from coming into contact with potentially hazardous materials.
The Town has engaged an engineering consultancy to undertake a geotechnical investigation of rock below natural ground levels to further understand the underground conditions.
Residents and visitors to the nearby Bold Park Aquatic Centre and Wembley Golf Course can expect to see drilling equipment and contractor vehicles on site. The area remains closed to overflow parking for the foreseeable future.
Investigation works continue on site until the end of October 2026, weather dependent.
The findings from this investigation will help the Town determine what measures are needed to future-proof site management and what constraints would apply to any future development.
Comments attributable to a Town of Cambridge spokesperson:
“The quarry was filled decades ago with a mixture of waste and disused items, and the records and testing available do not give us a complete picture of what is beneath the surface.
“We need to establish the ground conditions before making decisions about future use. That means getting expert advice, testing where information is missing and understanding what would be needed to make any development safe.”
Fact File
- Known as Quarry Park, the site is at 3 Alkoomie Terrace, beside Bold Park Aquatic Centre.
- Limestone quarrying occurred approximately between 1970 and 1980. The quarry was later partially filled with building waste, general refuse and other materials.
- Noting that asbestos fragments have previously been identified at the site, the site has a capped layer across it, and the Town follows the requirements of a Site Management Plan approved by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.