Recently, community members may have seen sprinklers being used at the site, which is fenced off to the public.

A Maitland City Council spokesperson said after demolition of the bowling club structure, potential asbestos contamination was seen in soil on the site.

"Sprinklers were installed to control the spread of dust and risk to the public," the spokesperson said.

"Subsequent investigations to determine the extent of the contamination have included soil sampling and laboratory analysis.

"Council is now assessing remediation options for the contaminated areas, as well as identifying which uncontaminated areas can be reopened to the public via a staged approach."

Council is prioritising reopening the carpark and the grass thoroughfare between the hockey fields and the bowling club site.

These works will be undertaken in April, with remediation works for the entire former bowling club site anticipated to be completed in the second half of 2024.

Maitland Park Bowling Club, which was one of the oldest in the state at 120-years-old, closed on July 4, 2022 due to financial struggles.

The bowling club was damaged by a fire in July 2023, and in October it was demolished. Just one month prior to the fire, Maitland Council had called for expressions of interest from the community on the site's possible future use.