‘Simply not good enough’: Education Minister under fire for ‘broken’ asbestos management system
The Education minister has come under fire after revelations that thousands of kids will return to a school where “extensively damaged” asbestos is yet to be removed. Read the full story
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Opposition education spokesman has slammed Queensland’s “broken” asbestos management system amid revelations students will return to a large Gold Coast school containing “extensively damaged” areas of the deadly material.
On Tuesday, the Bulletin revealed that thousands of students are set to return to Benowa State School despite a three month long wait to remove “extensively damaged” asbestos containing materials across three of its buildings.
The damaged materials were first identified in a school check conducted before the September holidays, however removal work has only been scheduled to begin over the Christmas holiday break.
Speaking to media outside Benowa State High School, Opposition Education Minister Dr Christian Rowan said the delayed remedial work was a sign of a broken system.
“It’s a serious concern that it’s gotten to this particular point (at Benowa SHS),” he said. “Students, parents and teachers are very concerned.
“Asbestos is a serious public health issue in our schools [and] the Minister for Education must provide assurances that it’s safe to return to school.
“There’s a broken behavioural management framework in our schools and there are a growing workplace health and safety incidents in our schools. There are many schools across Queensland which have been waiting for years to have remediation works undertaken and it’s simply not good enough.”
When asked what measures were taken to ensure staff and student safety during the three month long wait, Education Queensland could not provide school-specific actions and could not verify that parents were notified within the required 24-hour time frame due to school staff being on holidays.
A spokeswoman said in a statement: “The department has details procedures for the management of asbestos in department facilities and processes for managing asbestos incidents.
“In the event of a suspected asbestos incident, access to the area is restricted and QBuild are engaged to undertake make-safe actions.
“Once the area is made safe, it is reopened for use. During the school holidays, the toilets are closed while the school is closed.”
However it is unclear whether the affected toilets across the three buildings will remain closed over the next three months while staff and students are on site.
In data revealed in a Question on Notice, Benowa State High School issued two letters to parents in 2022 about asbestos-related incidents at the school.
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL WITH ‘EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED’ ASBESTOS
Almost 2000 students are expected to return to their Gold Coast high school next week despite potential exposure to “extensively damaged” asbestos.
Benowa State High School, one of the biggest on the Gold Coast, is one of four schools within the city that have been identified with “extensively damaged” asbestos containing materials (ACM) – potentially putting the health of staff and students at risk.
A state government check conducted mid-2023 found that a number of bathroom stall partitions and bathroom ceiling tiles in Benowa SHS’s study of society and environment building, communications building and natural science building had deteriorated with the asbestos elements now unstable.
However, the school is not scheduled to undergo removal work for another three months, despite students expected to return from semester break Tuesday October 3.
“The removal of ACM at Benowa SHS is scheduled for the coming Christmas holiday break, when no staff or students are present onsite,” the department said in a statement.
According to the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, damaged asbestos poses a “dangerous” health risk.
“All forms of asbestos become dangerous when asbestos fibres are released into the air and are inhaled,” a spokeswoman said.
“‘Extensively damaged’ asbestos has a higher likelihood of releasing asbestos fibres but if it has been sealed or covered over, or is in an area that is not accessible by staff and students then the risk of exposure is reduced.”
Bathrooms at Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School, the tuckshop at Miami State School and the fascia bordering the Special Education Program facility at Benowa State School (Primary) were also flagged in checks conducted between May and July this year, suffering similarly deteriorated asbestos materials.
All three schools have undergone a quiet removal of the damaged asbestos during the September school holidays.
Education Queensland said: “The asbestos containing material (ACM) at the three schools was assessed mid-year 2023 and its condition was found to have degraded.
“Action was taken immediately with the ACM removed from Miami State School (SS) and Palm Beach Currumbin SHS.
“The three items of ACM at Benowa State School (primary school) were assessed as part of the department’s safety program [and] were identified as a higher priority to be removed, and have been removed over the school holidays.”
In the past four years, more than 100 schools across the state have reported around 160 “asbestos exposure incidents” – 19 incidents in 2019, 88 in 2020, 58 in 2021 and 46 in 2022.
Of those, two incidents were reported at Miami State School in 2020.
Join the conversation
‘Have we really come to this?’: Paid parking at tiny Gold Coast shops
Paid parking at a tiny suburban shopping village? It seems crazy, but this is the new reality for the Gold Coast.
Read more
Divisive art king’s shocking homecoming
The Gold Coast tried to cancel him, but internationally acclaimed artist Michael Zavros is braving a homecoming as guest artistic director for Bleach. He promises audiences will not be disappointed – but might be shocked.
Read more