Thursday, 20 March 2025

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (23:44): (1544) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment. I think there is potentially an emerging public health issue at the Suburban Rail Loop works at Heatherton. By way of background, the initial surveys in Heatherton before works began indicated in the environment effects statement that there was no asbestos in the soil where these works were taking place. Yet late last year and very early this year some communication went out to the local community saying asbestos had been found in the soil. It was implied that it was minor and there would be a two-week clean-up; however, four weeks after that the clean-up was extended by a further four weeks, and now with a somewhat open-ended period it seems it has been going for over eight weeks. It is now clearly much more significant than the original estimates would have implied.

Today residents contacted me extremely concerned because further asbestos exclusion zone signs were being erected merely 50 metres from homes along Kingston Road and Nicholas Grove immediately adjacent to the works. The community are very concerned. They saw billowing dust coming off the site, and as we know, asbestos can be airborne. There is long history of asbestos being airborne in dust, and dust is blowing over those houses right now. This is very, very concerning for the community. The community do not feel that they have been well communicated with. We have a significant risk, it would seem. At the very least it needs to be investigated by your department or the EPA or both, and the action I seek is exactly that: to investigate the asbestos at the Heatherton site; to give a report back to the community as to exactly the extent of the asbestos, what containment works will be required and whether indeed they are safe or not; and to give the community the reassurance they need on this matter.