Rozelle Parkland asbestos: More mulch tests positive for asbestos as remeadiation plan revealed

More asbestos has been uncovered at a Sydney parkland, following further testing, as Transport officials scramble to come up with a plan to remove contaminated mulch from the site.

More asbestos has been uncovered at the newly completed Rozelle Parklands, as Transport for NSW officials revealed the department will be forced to remove and replace contaminated garden mulch from the site.

Rozelle Parklands, in Sydney’s Inner West, was closed to the public on January 10, following the discovery of bonded asbestos in garden mulch across the newly-opened parklands and playground.

Signs and barricades are placed around Rozelle Parklands in Sydney for it’s closure after asbestos was found in mulch surrounding a playground. Photo by: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

Samples of mulch, taken yesterday by contamination and remediation experts from Transport for NSW and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) were analysed, sparking the closure.

“The site is being secured, and plans are being developed to replace affected recycled garden mulch across the site,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.

“Independent occupational hygienists, engaged by Transport for NSW, continued their inspections to identify any potentially contaminated building materials within the recycled garden mulch on Wednesday.

“Across the entire site an additional 34 samples were taken for testing with three returning positive results for traces of bonded asbestos.”

Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray revealed the department was yet to determine the full scope of the contamination and will only remove mulch from areas of concern.

“We want ensure that we to know exactly where this affected mulch is, there will be areas in that park we’re mulch was delivered at different times,” he said.

“We’re going through the material at the moment, we’ve have been provided with thousands of documents that we still need to distill down.”

“We’re fully focused on security and safety and getting in place a really quick remediation plan.”

According to Mr Murray while the recycled mulch used in the Rozelle park is a common landscape product, the batch has had limited use.

“What our initial advice has been is that the supplier says that that matching mulch batch has had limited use,” the transport secretary said.

“That information will be given to the public as quickly as possible and know exactly where it’s gone.”

Asbestos was found in mulch surrounding a playground. Photo by: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

It was revealed on Wednesday that two samples tested earlier in the week also returned positive for traces of bonded asbestos, “which is considered low risk compared to friable asbestos”.

Transport for NSW officials revealed all traces were found in a “specific recycled mulch product used in garden beds during the landscaping process on this project”.

The parklands have been cordoned off, with workers developing a plan to remove the contaminated mulch.

“Air monitoring has also continued at locations around the site and tests have not identified air borne particles outside of normal expected parameters,” the spokesman said. “TfNSW will undertake testing at other locations associated with the Rozelle Interchange project that contain mulch.