The Australian government has officially ruled out cleaning up Antarctica’s contaminated Wilkes Station before the end of the decade.
The coastal base, which was abandoned in 1969, contains an estimated 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools of rubbish and contaminated soil — much of it buried under the ice.
Australia’s toxic legacy in Antarctica
The waste includes thousands of rusting fuel barrels, as well as old batteries, tins of food and animal carcasses.
Many of the station’s dilapidated buildings are also riddled with asbestos.
In 2024, a French inspection team warned the site posed a “clear risk” to the environment.
Last year, a federal parliamentary committee chaired by Labor recommended the government fully remediate Wilkes Station by 2030.
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Fifteen months later, the government has now responded, saying it only agrees “in part” to the committee’s recommendation.
“The government is committed to protecting the Antarctic environment, including addressing environmental impacts from past activities,” it said.
“However, the government notes that 2030 is not a viable time frame for completion of this complex and sensitive remediation.”
It was recommended the Australian government fully remediate Wilkes Station by 2030. (ABC News: Jano Gibson)
Clean-up timeframe remains unclear
It said a team from the “Cleaner Antarctica” science program was in the process of developing a “prioritised actionable clean-up strategy” for all Antarctic stations.
However, it did not provide a timeline of when Wilkes Station would be remediated, saying it was dependent on substantial planning, specialist resourcing and long-term access to the site.
“Through the Cleaner Antarctica science program, the government is conducting comprehensive assessments and remediation planning to achieve the best environmental outcomes,” it said.
Abandoned machinery at Wilkes Station, in Antarctica. (ABC News: Jano Gibson)
“Planning takes into consideration the unique Antarctic ecosystem, logistical constraints, availability of specialist personnel and long lead times for projects of this nature.”
Over the 2025-26 summer months, the team conducted a range of projects focussed on the marine environment near Wilkes Station, the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) said.
“This consisted of using small boats to launch remotely operated vehicles to collect imagery and data of the coastal environment and obtain sediment samples for chemical and biological analysis,” the AAD said.
“Terrestrially, the site was further mapped using drone and handheld LIDAR to record the current state of the station and inform remediation planning.”
It also said about 21 cubic metres of loose metal, wire and wood waste was removed from the site in the past season, after about 10 cubic metres of surface-level waste was removed the previous year.
In coming Antarctic seasons, it said assessments would continue to inform further remediation works.
Government agrees ‘in full’ to eight of 13 recommendations
The recommendation to clean up Wilkes Station by the end of the decade came after the committee held an inquiry into the importance of Antarctica to Australia’s national interests in 2024.
In its response, released on Thursday, the government said it agreed “in full” to eight of the committee’s 13 recommendations.
The Australian government says it agrees to eight of the committee’s 13 recommendations. (ABC News: Jano Gibson)
These included:
Increasing the frequency of its inspections of other Antarctic nations’ facilitiesContinuing efforts to establish a Marine Protected Area in East AntarcticaReviewing the state of recreational facilities at Australia’s Antarctic stations
It also noted that extra funding had been provided in relation to several other recommendations, including:
$5 million over two years for the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science$67.2 million for two marine science voyages on the RSV Nuyina between 2025 and 2026$92.9 million over four years from 2026-27 for Antarctic shipping requirements$188 million over four years for the redevelopment of Macquarie Wharf in Hobart
It said it agreed “in part” to three other recommendations and “noted” the remaining ones.
“The government welcomes the findings of the report and the recognition of Australia’s substantial national interests in Antarctica which reflect our continuing connection with the region,” it said.