Liberty Industrial was engaged by Rio Tinto to assist with the decontamination, demolition and disposal works for the Gove Refinery project located in the North East Arnhem Land of remote Northern Territory. After 52 years of mining activity, our client Rio Tinto has commenced the process of decommissioning, dismantling and rehabilitating the land, all of which will be returned to the Yolngu Traditional Owners, who will decide the future of the area.

• The site is isolated in a remote location at the north-eastern point of the Northern Territory, which poses logistical challenges for the transportation of large and heavy plants and equipment to the work sites.
• Since the refinery’s closure in 2014, the refinery infrastructure has progressively deteriorated over time. To ensure areas can be safely accessed by the team, cleaning and removal of materials and structural integrity checks are undertaken.
• During operations, the site utilised several hazardous substances and caustic chemicals as part of the refinery process, some of which may affect the type of demolition methods needed.
• The Northern Australian tropical climate is subject to high rainfall, with hot and humid weather conditions during the summer wet season. The risk of heat illness, particularly for personnel undertaking outdoor work, remains present all year round. Weather conditions of heavy rain, lightning and cyclones are common in the region and can impact the project schedule if not anticipated and well-managed.
• The Banyan tree and sacred sites around the Gove Refinery are of significant cultural importance to the Traditional Owners. The protection of this tree as well as several cultural heritage areas, is paramount to ensure they are returned to the Traditional Owners on the completion of the project.