Castle Hill High asbestos: Legal firm to investigate Government’s handling of possible exposures

An independent legal firm will be brought in to investigate the NSW Government’s handling of the discovery of asbestos at a high-performing Sydney high school. See what it means here.

A “high-flying” Sydney law firm has been commissioned by the NSW Education Department to conduct an independent review of the Castle Hill High School asbestos investigation.

NewsLocal can reveal the law firm has been engaged following calls for an external investigation by Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams, as SafeWork NSW has been criticised for failing to hand down its own findings several months on from the revelations surrounding the high-performing western Sydney School.

Castle Hill MP Ray Williams pictured talking to media outside Castle Hill High school. Asbestos has been found at Castle Hill High School. Picture by Damian Shaw

Last week, NewsLocal revealed teachers feared for their jobs and air-quality assessors that students were unknowingly tasked with cleaning out a storeroom filled with airborne asbestos fibres.

An Education Department spokesman, and representatives of Minister Sarah Mitchell, refused to disclose which law firm had been engaged for the inquiry.

“The department has engaged an external law firm to review management of the specific complaint related to the department’s handling of potential asbestos exposure at the Castle Hill High School,” the spokesman said.

One Nation MLC and Upper House Education Portfolio chair, Mark Latham, told NewsLocal recommendations handed down next week, following a parliamentary inquiry into Castle Hill High, will include mandatory Asbestos management certification for all NSW public school principals, and advise the NSW Education Department to install parents on all school Work, health and Safety committees in an effort for increased transparency.

Asbestos has been found at Castle Hill High School. Picture by Damian Shaw

“There has got to be centralised checking and monitoring processes for all Work, Health and Safety committees,” Mr Latham said.

“The department must issue a requirement that every single principal and deputy principal has certified the school’s asbestos management plan.

“And we’ve got to have a system whereby the department monitors the minutes of school Work, Health and Safety committees to ensure that the same issue — raised in 11 weeks in a row — is not brushed under the carpet.”

Castle Hill MP Ray Williams pictured holding an asbestos report outside Castle Hill High school. Picture by Damian Shaw

A SafeWork NSW spokesman told NewsLocal inspectors had “visited the school on numerous occasions since this incident and is not aware of any current asbestos-related safety issues at the school”. 

“SafeWork NSW is continuing to actively investigate the matter and further comment on that investigation is not available at this time,” he said.

However, Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams said the NSW Government needed to ensure there is a safe environment for staff and teacher at the school, “which is not too much to ask”.

“I anxiously await the recommendations of the report from the committee,” he said. “And I standby my request — and the P and C’s request — for an independent asbestos assessment.”