Pagewood school parents in fear over development site

THE EPA has been asked to step in to allay growing concern over toxins and asbestos at a development site across from Pagewood Public School where some parents have pulled their children from class.

Parents of Pagewood Public School students have raised health concerns over a development across the road which contains deadly toxins and asbestos in the soil. Picture: Danny Aarons.

THE Environment Protection Authority has been asked to step in following growing concerns about potential health impacts of a mega $89 million development on a local school.

The $89,940,000 project includes 37 two and three-storey townhouses and two residential flat buildings on a site across the road from Pagewood Public School.

The old industrial warehouse buildings at the site were demolished in 2007, with the Joint Regional Planning Panel approving a revised DA by Pagewood Developments Pty Ltd last month for a residential development.

Kingsford Smith MP Matt Thistlethwaite met with the developers in August after parents expressed concern for their children’s health at two community meetings.

Kingsford Smith MP Matt Thistlethwaite with concerned Pagewood PS parents Byron Wood, Katia Gencur and Clement Lam. Picture: Danny Aarons

“TCE and PCE are quite toxic and contained in the soil, so to remediate the site would mean disturbing those, causing a risk to the children at Pagewood Public School as well as local residents,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.

“The developer said there was minimal risk, and the property was being tented during the remediation, but that hasn’t allayed community concern.”

The MP wrote to Environment Minister Mark Speakman to request the Environment Protection Authority send out an individual auditor to ensure conditions relating to health and the environment were being met, and is awaiting a response.

“The bottom line is this inappropriate development should never have been approved by the State Government through the farcical Joint Regional Planning Panel process,” he said.

“There’s overdevelopment in several pockets of the community, and local infrastructure isn’t coping.”

Parents of Pagewood Public School students have raised health concerns over a development across the road from their School, which they have claim has toxic soil and asbestos.

Mr Thistlethwaite said he was also pushing for Bayside Council to ensure the overhaul of the Botany Aquatic Centre would go ahead despite the changing of the guard.

The former Botany Bay Council had agreed to invest $10 million to upgrade the pool, allowing it to be open all year round.

“Botany is growing quickly with more families moving into this newly gentrified neighbourhood, making it vital infrastructure keeps pace with demand,” he said.

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