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Children left to play in deadly asbestos tip

Alexandra Smith

4 May 2009 - DANGEROUS quantities of asbestos remained littered throughout an Aboriginal town on the far South Coast even though the State Government and the Eurobodalla Shire Council knew about the health risks at least two years ago.

The lethal material lies on front lawns, under houses, near a building just metres from a preschool and in the tip at Wallaga Lake, an Aboriginal town just south of Narooma. The asbestos is left over from the demolition of several homes between
1995 and 1997, and possibly earlier.

Minutes of a meeting between state agencies and the local Aboriginal land council in November 2007, obtained by the Herald, showed the Government had agreed the asbestos needed to be removed urgently. No further action was taken.

Joe Woodward, the deputy director-general of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, said the department was sympathetic to the town's concerns.

It had helped to secure funding for a fence to keep children away from an area believed to be an illegal dumping ground of the deadly building product.

Mr Woodward said the department was not responsible for cleaning up asbestos on privately owned land but it had had talks with NSW Health about sending an occupational hygienist to the town to advise its 200 residents.

Damien Matcham, the chief executive of the Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community and Medical Services, said at least 300 people, including contractors who demolished the homes, urgently needed X-rays to check if they had been affected by asbestos.

"There are areas in Wallaga Lake the kids call their playground, and it is there they build their cubby houses. But what they are actually playing on is a massive pile of asbestos," Mr Matcham said.

"The place is riddled with asbestos but even though the council and the Government had a meeting in November 2007 there are still no warning signs  it's absolutely disgusting  and nothing is being done about it."

The Bega MP, Andrew Constance, said the Government had failed to protect people living in deadly conditions. "For years now, children have been playing in asbestos but we still don't know the extent of the problem," he said.

Source: smh

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