FEARS of just what the site could contain have deputy mayor Bobby Bourke calling for the old Bathurst Gasworks to be demolished.
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The site, located on lower Russell Street, is currently owned by Crown Lands and is leased by Jemena.
The energy provider signed a 20-year lease in 2008, but has made it clear in recent years that it no longer needs or wants the site.
READ MORE: Site decision pending
Cr Bourke has long been concerned about site security and said Jemena's latest efforts - 2.4m-high galvanised steel fencing - still wasn't enough to keep people out.
"I think it is time to get some action done," he said.
"They are still breaking into the site and damaging not one, but two fences."
He called the gasworks "one of the most toxic places in NSW" and said there was a lot of uncertainty about what could be present at the site, in addition to the dangerous nature of the old structures.
As the site is not Bathurst Regional Council's responsibility, he said the State Government had to take action.
"It's a state government Crown Lands responsibility. It's not council's responsibility; the council has remediated the site," Cr Bourke said.
"The site needs to be knocked down before the lease with Jemena runs out in 2028, because I can see what will happen.
"The state government will pass the buck back on to council and we will be left with one of the most contaminated sites in NSW."
If the site can't be demolished, then Cr Bourke wants to see the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) get involved.
"I want the demolition started straight away and if they don't do that, let's have a full investigation into the gasworks to find out what's in there," he said.
The Western Advocate contacted the EPA, which said contamination wouldn't require regulation.
"Crown Lands recently commissioned a review of remaining land contamination issues at the site," a spokesperson said.
"Some residual contamination remains on the site, and whilst this is not at a level that would require EPA regulation, it would need to be considered as part of any re-development of the site."
Cr Jacqui Rudge has put her support behind Cr Bourke's call for action.
Until something can be done, she has called upon residents to avoid the site for their own safety.
"It's dangerous and we don't want to see adolescents hurting themselves and we don't want to see people sleeping in there," she said.