By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The state’s environmental watchdog has stepped in to oversee the removal of asbestos from a developer’s land close to existing homes near Ward Road and Bounty Way, Berwick.
The developer, Moremac Property Group, has been ordered to provide a clean-up plan and an expert’s remediation strategy to the Environment Protection Authority.
“The risk to the community from the land is considered low,” an EPA spokeswoman said.
“EPA will continue to monitor the works at the site to ensure they are undertaken in accordance with an agreed clean-up plan and in line with relevant regulations.”
Bounty Way residents had raised the alarm in late January after their homes were blasted by dust during tree clearing works on the Ward Road parcel of the proposed Alira estate.
In March, WorkSafe temporarily halted asbestos removal after a worker without protective equipment appeared to be collecting debris.
In the meantime, Moremac has claimed that asbestos and asbestos-containing material have been illegally dumped on the site.
Moremac director Bryce Moore re-iterated that there was no evidence that asbestos had travelled into neighbours’ yards during the January dust storm.
“The tree clearing works were undertaken appropriately and in accordance with occupational health and safety guidelines.
“There has been no evidence of asbestos being mixed with the material that was mulched or … ended up in the mulch piles.”
The piles were later inspected and given the all-clear by EPA and WorkSafe, he said.
Works on the Ward Road site were “progressing well”, and expected to be cleaned of asbestos by 9 July, subject to weather conditions.
“The EPA notice is not a surprise.
“In many ways people should take confidence in that there’s EPA oversight of the process.”
Meanwhile, resident Mark Weaven has moved out, with his family, from their Bounty Way home.
The family was shaken after finding a confirmed shard of asbestos-containing material in their backyard during the January works.
“When you look over the fence and see the quarantined off areas, it is apparent as to the extent of the contamination.
“Asbestos appears to have been found everywhere on the site, which we knew anyway.
“Even though they are going to add fill over the top, there will be quite a lot of fine particles still in the soil here.”
