06:48 am, Tuesday 19 February, 2008

Source: The Advertiser

THE City of Greater Bendigo may have to delay the opening of one its flagship recreational projects following the discovery of low levels of asbestos at the site.

Scattered fragments of cement-bonded asbestos have been collected from the Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve by specialist contractors as part of the clean-up of the site.

The City of Greater Bendigo will now have to wait on a Worksafe report to determine the next steps, and if further clean-up work is required.

The city’s chief executive Craig Niemann said the discovery was made about a fortnight ago while the site was being tested for heavy metals, from which it gained the all-clear.

He said a specialist report determined the asbestos found was bonded with cement and non-friable, whereas the health risks of asbestos were derived from the inhalation of free fibres.

Mr Niemann said other specialist teams had been working from last week to remove the visible fragments from the grounds.

‘‘The EPA and Worksafe have been out and indicated to us there is a very low risk and very low levels of contaminants,’’ he said Bendigo mayor David Jones said the recreation reserve was scheduled for completion by May and the start of the soccer season, but the council would have to reassess the date if more remedial work was needed.

‘‘Our one guarantee is we will do whatever is necessary in order to ensure it is 100 per cent safe, but also that there is 100 per cent perception of safety,’’ Cr Jones said.

‘‘We are very frustrated and disappointed, if that causes delays and inconvenience, but we are not prepared to put public safety at risk.’’ He said the council would continue to work with government agencies, but believed the low level of contamination would enable it to use the site as planned.

Cr Jones said he was not willing to speculate on where the asbestos had come from, but said in its bonded form it had been a very popular building material throughout Bendigo.

WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said they would work with the council on the options available before the site opened, but believed it was important for the community’s sake to completely clear up the reserve before it began its public use.

– Removing Asbestos Safe Work Method Statement

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