Early Wet season rain not asbestos clean-up at the old Darwin hospital

With early wet season rains bucketing down on Darwin, additional erosion controls have been put in place at the site of the asbestos clean-up on the old Darwin hospital land near Cullen Bay

Clean-up crews work the site around Myilly Point removing asbestos. Picture: SUPPLIED

With early wet season rains bucketing down on Darwin, additional erosion controls have been put in place at the site of the asbestos clean-up on the old Darwin hospital land near Cullen Bay.

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics said temporary fencing had been installed as an exclusion zone around the affected area.

“Additional erosion controls in the form of hay bales and sediment fences have been erected to block any particulars from entering the stormwater system and being dumped into Cullen Bay,” a department spokesman said.

Contractors engaged by DIPL found bonded asbestos on a steep slope on the south western part of the site a week ago. The substance was found while removing coffee bush.

The area has been isolated and specialised asbestos removal company SLR Consulting Australia has been engaged. The asbestos was found at the back of the old Darwin hospital site, adjacent to the back of houses along Cullen Bay Cres and near where the NT Government plans to build a new museum.

“Air monitoring has been placed on the boundary to ensure there are no airborne particles,” the DIPL spokeman said. “Shade cloth has been placed on the rear fences of the residential properties to provide some additional dust protection.

“Temporary irrigation has been installed to keep the site damp at all times. Rain controllers have also been installed to ensure overwatering doesn’t happen.”