This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
PORT Kembla Copper has sold its former smelter to a property developer.
The Port Kembla Group (PKG) has acquired the site at Military Road, Port Kembla in a staged settlement due to be completed in early 2026.
PKG’s director John Chen said the site represents an amazing opportunity to revitalise and enhance a strategic location on NSW’s coastal logistic infrastructure.
“The site is going through an extensive exercise of place making to determine the future composition to enhance local community offerings and employment while enhancing the sustainable and economic robustness of the region.
“An experienced team has been engaged to provide a once in a decade opportunity to revitalise the former copper site. Lead by Birch Place and designed by Place Studio, the resulting precinct will service the growing infrastructure and supply needs of a growing community,” he added.
At 21.77 hectares, the site is one of Port Kembla’s largest industrial development sites, and the sale follows 20 years of investigation, remediation and demolition works by PKC, which operated the smelter from 2000 to 2003, before it was put on the market in August last year.
Its closure ended nearly 100 years of copper smelting activity, and the sale ends a 28-year association of PKC with the property.
PKC executive advisor Ian Wilson said that the sale of the site presented “an excellent outcome for the local community, given it opens up opportunities for commercial and or industrial redevelopment and employment at the site”.
“While PKC operated the smelter for only three of a total of approximately 100 years operation, it has decided to carry out investigation and remediation of contamination at the site and surrounding residential areas on a voluntary basis.
“Our extensive work has made the site suitable for future commercial or industrial uses, and we are pleased we were able to find an appropriate purchaser in a timely manner,” he added.
Wilson said proceeds from the sale will also help fund PKC’s ongoing off-site investigation and remediation program in residential areas of Port Kembla which may have been contaminated from historical smelter operations.
