Victoria’s environment watchdog and a Melbourne council have confirmed traces of asbestos at eight parks and reserves across Melbourne, as the regulator probes the sources of the contamination.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Environment Protection Authority confirmed small amounts of asbestos-contaminated material had been discovered at PA Burns Reserve in Altona, in Melbourne’s west. The EPA said its inspection over the weekend found “good quality mulch laid over industrial waste”.
“EPA has directed Hobsons Bay city council to fence the site and prioritise the site for remediation,” the EPA said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Hobsons Bay city council in Melbourne’s west confirmed asbestos-contaminated material had been found at the Altona Coastal Park.
The EPA later confirmed asbestos had been discovered at Shores Reserve in Pascoe Vale South in Melbourne’s north. The site has reopened following inspection by an occupational hygienist.
The EPA has also found traces of asbestos at GJ Hosken Reserve and Crofts Reserve in Altona North, which confirmed earlier testing conducted by the council.
The watchdog said the council had “restricted access” to the area while it implements its mediation plan.
The EPA said a second inspection at PJ Lynch Reserve in Altona North – where asbestos was previously confirmed – found no further contamination.
Earlier on Tuesday, the agency said it had uncovered potential asbestos at an additional three sites in Melbourne’s west, with samples being taken for testing. The EPA has flagged potential asbestos contamination at two other council areas in Melbourne: Brimbank and Merri-bek.
On Monday, the EPA’s director of regulatory services, Duncan Pendrigh, said it was investigating the possibility of illegal dumping and said there had been a recent increase in this activity. He said the EPA was also investigating the supply chain of contaminated mulch and companies that construct and demolish parks, as well as council oversight of this.
Pendirgh said he was confident asbestos discovery in Victoria would not be as widespread as New South Wales, where bonded asbestos has been discovered at more than 75 sites, including parks and schools.
He stressed the risk of harm was low and only minor amounts of contamination had been uncovered in Hobsons Bay.
Over the weekend, the EPA ordered the western Melbourne council to hand over records of its supply chain for mulch production and conduct wider testing for asbestos, after the material was found in several reserves in the council area. It is also required to commission a hygienist to inspect all council managed parks and gardens that have received mulch in the past 18 months.
Asbestos-containing material was initially found in mulch next to a playground in Donald McLean Reserve, in Spotswood, last week.
Last week, Merri-bek council confirmed it found asbestos-contaminated soil at Hosken Reserve, in North Coburg, after an earlier discovery in late January. The EPA said the contamination was believed to be from historic buried material.
