By CHERIE DONNELLAN
TORQUAY residents have continued to find asbestos on a development site despite Surf Coast Shire ruling it safe.
Landowners posted a video on YouTube last Sunday showing a lone man “in a blue coverall suit and respirator “spending the morning picking up asbestos” at 12 Sea Breeze Drive over the weekend, the video’s description said.
But Surf View Estate resident Kim Hammond said she found afterward “a couple of pieces” of asbestos on the site, fenced off with orange bunting, after the man spent “four hours” clearing fragments of the potentially deadly material.
The Independent reported earlier this month that Ms Hammond had found on the land samples later identified as dangerous brown asbestos fibres.
Owner Ironbridge Properties, a Western Australia company, is developing the land for housing.
Surf Coast Shire recently posted on its website information suggesting the site was safe.
Asbestos samples that authorities had found on the land were “of the non-friable-type”, the shire said.
Friable asbestos is either in a powder form or can be easily crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand when dry.
“Soil reports, air monitoring and a recent clearance certificate verify that the conditions at the site are acceptable for site workers and therefore for the community,” the shire said on the website.
The shire identified WorkSafe as responsible for monitoring the site.
“Concerns about asbestos have been addressed by WorkSafe,” the shire said.
“Worksafe advises that it does not take these matters lightly and that the developer … has acted with integrity and professionalism throughout the investigation, including closing the site when required for remediation.”
The shire said it was “difficult to remove every single bit of asbestos from contaminated sites”.
“Depending on the level of contamination, more of this non-friable asbestos may be exposed by weathering of the soil.”
Ms Hammond and residents responsible for the YouTube video questioned whether the site was safe after seeing the man wearing protective gear.
“What is the risk to local residents and the community? Where are our coloured suits and respirators?” a caption from the video said.
