Residents react to asbestos removal assurances at multimillion dollar Queenscliff development

A council has responded to angry residents living next to a multimillion dollar Bellarine Peninsula development site found to have asbestos.

Workers in protective equipment at the building site in Murray Road, Queenscliff. Picture: Brad Fleet

Queenscliffe council has responded to angry residents living next to a multimillion development site found to have asbestos, vowing to act on dust emissions causing alarm for ratepayers.

Borough chief executive officer, Martin Gill, has written to people living near the construction of the Cove Estate on Murray Rd saying “we can do more” to assist with complications as a result of the works.

Developer Mantello Holdings found the potential cancer-causing material on sheet metal after acquiring the land off council last year for $3.2m.

The site is causing some concern among nearby residents. Picture: Brad Fleet

“There is a full time hygienist on site supervising the operation so that no asbestos becomes airborne,” one of the partners said.

However, one property owner has vowed to complete his own independent soil test from the particles found drifting inside his home and on window sills, despite the assurances.

“How do we know there is not asbestos in the dust?” said Michael Hayes, who has owned a property on Noma Ct for 35 years.

“There are guys walking around onsite with hazmat suits, so they are obviously worried there might be some around.”

Mr Gill, in a letter to nearby ratepayers, said although council was not responsible for the management of the asbestos removal, it was for the construction management plan of the subdivision.

“Which brings me to a separate issue that I am aware has been causing concern for residents in the area – dust emissions,” he said.

“I say it is a separate issue because the soil is clean and free from fibro cement sheeting.”

He claimed council “has taken a more proactive approach” to monitor dust emissions and had “attended the site daily” since March 1.

Works on the subdivision. Picture: Brad Fleet

“But I think we can do more, and we are planning to speak to the developer about ways to better manage dust emissions and prevent carriage of dirt and mud onto surrounding roads,” he said.

He also said the fibro metal sheeting found to have asbestos was non-friable.

“These products are resistant to damage and unlikely to release harmful asbestos fibres into the air,” he said.

“Prior to the discovery of the fibro cement sheet the environmental audits of the site had not detected the presence of asbestos in the soil.”

Mr Hayes and another neighbour, Robert Warren, said no-one was supervising the site on the March Labour Day weekend, despite the claims from the developer.

“I’m seriously considering taking a sample of the dust on my windows and getting it independently tested myself,” Mr Hayes said.

Mr Warren said the correspondence from council was “only a few months late”.

Construction started at the site in November.

Queenscliff council formerly owned the land and used it as a waste dumping ground. Picture: Brad Fleet

“We should be getting some sort of compensation for all the dust,” he said.

“It’s everywhere, it gets in your house, your pool, all over the tiles. We’ll have to clean the roof and gutters, who is going to be paying for that?”

It comes as residents on Noma Ct and Nelson Rd had an impromptu meeting to air concerns about the noise and dust at the Murray Rd site.

The subdivision will see 13 individual lots sold off, with blocks starting with a $1.2m asking price.

The land has been previously used as a council dumping site for the best part of 25 years.

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Originally published as Residents react to asbestos removal assurances at multimillion dollar Queenscliff development