Back in September 1989, a ugly legal battle was brewing over the speculation of lead contamination from an old battery factory, which operated on the Forrest Street, Ardeer site. H&G Town Planning and Development, the consultancy which assured Sunshine Council there was no contamination, was sharing the same office building as Chester and Fein, the company which bought and developed the site for residential housing.

Prior to the site's purchase by Chester and Fein, it belonged to Sims Productions Holdings, who acquired Consolidated Metals in 1970, which operated the site from the early 1950s. Both Sims and Consolidated manufacturered sheet metal on site. From 1976 until 1984, Besco Batteres made battery compenents at the site.

An investigation by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on the site for lead contamination recorded initial samples indicating a high level of lead in the soil. There were eleven houses built on the subdivision at the time but not all were occupied. Residents were offered alternative accommodation whilst the investigation took place.

In 1997, lead contaminated soils were excavated from the site and removed. This also removed soil containing antimony, arsenic, cadmium and zinc.