Bunbury prisoners enlisted for tornado clean-up amid asbestos risk

There is an asbestos risk for people involved in the clean-up following a devastating tornado in Western Australia’s south.

Low-security prisoners are being enlisted to help with the clean-up following a destructive tornado in Western Australia’s south.

The tornado, which damaged more than 100 residences in Bunbury last Friday, also hit the local prison’s low-security wing.

Now a number of the occupants will assist in the town’s clean-up, according to Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia.

A video capturing the moment a tornado ripped through Bunbury in Western Australia on Friday afternoon. Picture: X

“They go out in the community and work, and I can say that yesterday and again today … there are prisoners from Bunbury Prison going and helping clean-up the streets of Bunbury after the storm,” Mr Papalia said.

“There’s some serious damage in terms of infrastructure.”

Mr Papalia said the only injury at the jail site was a broken wrist suffered by a prisoner.

Also at the Bunbury Police and Community Youth Centre at the time were large groups of children, who were all safe.

“We’re just so fortunate (as) there were 15 neurodiverse kids in the building at the time of that storm hitting and fortunately they were at the back of the building as the front collapsed,” Mr Paplia said.

“The prison was always secured. I talked to the superintendent and other staff who were there on the night. The fence line is secure.”

WA Premier Roger Cook said there was an asbestos risk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

WA Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said prisoners would help with the clean-up. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Philip Gostelow

WA Premier Roger Cook said on Sunday that the clean-up in the state’s southwest could be hazardous given there was “a lot of asbestos in the streets” that had been dislodged by the tornado.

“We’ve got specialist teams on the ground as we speak trying to clean that up but there are exclusion zones which ensures that we can secure the public’s safety,” Mr Cook said.

An exclusion zone was established for three blocks around the Hay Park Sporting Complex to remove asbestos waste.

The local primary school and high school were slated to re-open on Monday, but it is expected that the cost of repairs will be in the millions of dollars.

Originally published as Bunbury prisoners enlisted for tornado clean-up amid asbestos risk