By Cam Lucadou-Wells
WorkSafe has ordered a stop put to asbestos removal on the proposed Alira residential estate in Berwick as it investigates alleged health and safety breaches.
Adjoining residents Paul and Jenni Weaven had earlier submitted photos of a man without protective gear such as a respirator picking up material on the asbestos-contaminated site on Ward Road on 23 March.
Mr Weaven said the man had filled a “fairly full bag” of material, some which appeared to be asbestos-containing material.
He surmised the material had been “obviously identified” during a site inspection that day.
Some of it was picked up near a mulch pile from which debris had been blown into his backyard during tree removal works in late January, he said.
Mr Weaven had first sounded the alarm after he discovered a large piece of confirmed asbestos-containing material, after a storm of dust enveloped his yard during the works.
“I am sure you can understand I am finding it very difficult to believe that these guys will ever do anything properly,” Mr Weaven stated in an emailed letter to WorkSafe.
“You were telling me over the phone how well the clean-up was going to be handled from now on.”
In his letter, Mr Weaven posed the question as to how the asbestos was uncovered during the works “considering that it was known to be present and the locations documented”.
“You mentioned that some trees required removal for development works to continue but why was this placed above the safety of the community? It doesn’t make any sense to us.”
A WorkSafe manager responded to Mr Weaven that “we have since followed up, identified the person depicted and taken appropriate enforcement action to prevent recurrence”.
The alleged breach came a day after WorkSafe told Star News that the developer would use an independent occupational hygienist to plan and oversee asbestos removal on the site.
It would be undertaken by a licensed asbestos removalist, a spokeswoman said.
On 29 March, the spokeswoman said the authority was aware of “allegations of asbestos removal at the site which may have breached OHS regulations”.
The authority had ordered further activity at the site to cease while it made inquiries, she said.
Recently, Environment Protection Authority Victoria had deemed only “limited, if any” earthworks had occurred during tree removal.
On recent inspections, the EPA had found no evidence that works were “not consistent with best practice”.
In a recent letter to nearby residents, Alira developer Moremac Property Group stated there were “small amounts” of asbestos-containing material on “various parts” of the estate land.
It was found in fibre cement sheeting of former buildings and in illegally dumped building waste, it claimed.
“We are aware there have been concerns in respect to dust nuisance.
“We want to assure you that no materials other than the trees removed have passed through the mulcher.”
