Statement - Urgent audit into asbestos on public land needed

Statement – Urgent audit into asbestos on public land needed

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

8 April 2024.

The Liberals and Nationals are calling on the Allan Labor Government to urgently undertake a full and proper audit into asbestos on public land in Victoria.

Last Wednesday, a resident, who was at Donald McLean Reserve in Spotswood with his children, found asbestos at the site.

The park had recently been upgraded by Citywide Service Solutions, a company chaired by former Labor Premier John Brumby, which in turn blamed a subcontractor.

On Friday, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) released a statement stating that Donald McLean Reserve was the only Victorian site with traces of asbestos. This is despite the EPA now confirming that there are at least six parks where asbestos has now been found.

While the EPA has today stated the amounts found so far pose a low risk, Victorians deserve the confidence and assurance of a full audit of where asbestos is located on public land and the risk level to the public.

This comes after forensic investigations by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority led to finding the existence of asbestos at 75 sites across greater Sydney.

Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, James Newbury, said: “Disappointingly, our agencies have failed at protecting the community or getting their facts right. The Allan Labor Government needs to step up, explain how this happened, and publicly guarantee that this and other parks around Melbourne are safe.

“We also know that a forensic audit found asbestos in 75 parks around Sydney. The Allan Labor Government should have started a Victorian audit yesterday.

“Every parent will be deeply concerned about asbestos being found near where children play. It’s just not good enough that the substance was there, and we are calling for a full and proper audit to be conducted urgently.”

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change