Dozens more parks across inner Sydney will be tested for asbestos after investigations found contaminated mulch may have been used around trees and plantings throughout the city as the crisis deepens.
Residents are being urged to avoid mulched areas, which will be cordoned off for weeks as the council tests after earlier this week finding asbestos in three other parks, including friable asbestos in Harmony Park in Surry Hills.
The City of Sydney on Tuesday night said 32 parks within the local government area would be urgently tested, with priority being given to the highest usage parks.
Parks in Forest Lodge, Ultimo, Glebe, Dawes Point, Pyrmont, Millers Point, Camperdown, Surry Hills and Chippendale will be examined, including the popular Jubilee, Wentworth and Harold Parks.
“We urge everyone to avoid the mulched garden beds and mulched areas under trees at these parks while the inspections are being carried out,” a spokesperson for the council said.
“The affected mulch is only used in garden beds and under trees, not in park playgrounds.
“This follows advice from the EPA that they’d discovered a link to Greenlife Resource Recovery deep in the supply chain of one of our contractors.”
The areas will be taped off and signs will be put up to let residents know about the potential for contamination.
“We anticipate this will take several weeks,” the spokesperson said. “If further asbestos is found, the area will be fenced and signs erected. We’ll keep the community informed as more updates are available.”
The New South Wales government also confirmed on Tuesday evening that more asbestos had been found after testing of a garden bed at the Parramatta Light Rail site.
Greenlife – the company that supplied mulch found to be contaminated with asbestos across Sydney, including at a primary school – has launched a legal challenge against the environmental watchdog as it fights to keep selling the product.
The company filed an appeal in the state’s land and environment court against the NSW Environment Protection Authority to challenge the prevention notice issued earlier this month banning it from selling mulch, after bonded asbestos was discovered in recycled garden mulch it supplied for the Rozelle parklands and other state infrastructure projects.
The order prevents Greenlife from moving mulch from its facility in Bringelly in south-western Sydney until the EPA completes its investigation.
So far, asbestos has been found across the city, most recently at three parks within the City of Sydney, but the agency is yet to identify the source of the contamination.
The premier, Chris Minns, has vowed to crack down on operators who had been found to have done “the wrong thing”, announcing he would take a proposal for increased fines to cabinet.
He said the discovery of asbestos in parks, schools and hospitals over the past month was “completely unacceptable”.
“The government is prepared to take action,” he said.
The full list of parks within the City of Sydney that will be tested in the coming weeks:
Arcadia Park, Forest Lodge
AV Henry Reserve, Forest Lodge
Bicentennial Park 1, Glebe
Bicentennial Park 2, Glebe
Blackwattle Bay Park, Glebe
Chippendale Green, Chippendale
Clyne Reserve, Millers Point
Cook & Phillip Park, Sydney
Creek Street Reserve, Forest Lodge
Dr H J Foley Rest Park, Glebe
Frog Hollow Reserve, Surry Hills
Giba Park, Pyrmont
Harold Park, Forest Lodge
James Watkinson Reserve, Pyrmont
John Street Reserve, Glebe
Jubilee Park, Glebe Harold Park
Larkin Street Park, Camperdown
Minogue Reserve, Glebe
Munn Reserve, Millers Point
Observatory Hill Park, Millers Point
Orphan School Creek, Forest Lodge
Paradise Reserve, Pyrmont
Pirrama Park, Pyrmont
Pottinger Park West, Dawes Point
Quarry St Streetscape & Steps, Ultimo
Robyn Kemmis Reserve, Glebe
Seamer Street Reserve, Glebe
St James Park, Glebe
Stewart Street Glebe Reserve, Glebe
Toxteth Park, Glebe
Wentworth Park, Ultimo
Wood Street Playground, Forest Lodge
