GWYDIR Shire Council has come under fire by the Asbestos Diseases Foundation Of Australia (ADFA) and the United Services Union (USU) amid allegations that the council’s handling and disposal practices breached occupational health and safety laws.
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Both organisations expressed their deep concern that illegal disposal methods have potentially exposed residents of Warialda to deadly asbestos fibres and called for a full investigation by Workcover and the Environment Protection Authority.
to residents and former council staff.
“There is no question in my mind that there needs to be an urgent investigation into the practices of Gwydir Shire Council,” Mr Robson said.
“I was told of council workers using angle grinders to cut asbestos cement water pipes in suburban streets, all without any safety equipment or any warnings for local residents.
“There were also examples of asbestos being illegally dumped, or simply being tossed over the fence of local tips when they weren’t open, and extremely worrying stories of large quantities of asbestos sheeting simply disappearing, with no documentation to show where or how it was safely disposed of.”
Gwydir Shire mayor, John Coulton, has denied and dismissed the reports.
“The allegations of a problem were first reported to Council on August 27 and have been fully investigated and remedial action has been taken where appropriate,” Cr Coulton said.
“Each employee who may come into contact with asbestos material in the course of his or her work has been appropriately trained, accredited and has access to Council provided personal safety equipment.
“The Council is confident that no staff member or member of the public has been endangered during the water pipe replacement program in Warialda. All work at the site was carried out in a manner consistent with the Council’s health and safety obligations, but some cutbut essentially bonded material was initially sent to an unauthorised site and later collected and disposed of in an appropriate manner.”
However, USU Northern Region manager, Stephen Hughes, has said that now that the practices have been revealed it is absolutely essential they be investigated.
“The risk isn’t just to the health of workers, it’s to their families who may have come into contact with asbestos dust on their clothes or the local people living nearby or simply walking past a worksite,” Mr Hughes said.
“All those people need to undergo appropriate testing and also be added to the National Asbestos Register so that the cause of any asbestos-related diseases can be confirmed.
“With all the information now available about the risks of asbestos, there is absolutely no excuse for any council or company failing to ensure work is carried out in a safe manner.”
