By Benjamin Millar
An asbestos removal contractor will comb over a West Footscray dog park and further soil samples will be sent for testing following community concern at a positive result for friable asbestos in material found at the park.
Samples of waste fill found at the Martin Reserve off-lead dog park that were sent by a park user for testing returned a positive result for the unstable asbestos.
Council’s acting director of infrastructure services Craig Medcalf said council was alerted to the asbestos find in a pile of fill at Martin Reserve on April 8, three days after it was delivered to the site.
“An officer immediately surveyed the mounds and could not find asbestos at the time,” he said.
Following a second complaint on April 10, officers returned to the site and made a visual investigation, taking two samples of soil for analysis.
Mr Medcalf said the area was fenced off as a precaution, pending receipt of the results.
“The laboratory advised that the results were negative and the resident was advised accordingly.”
The resident provided the Council with the positive test result on the material she had found on April 18.
But the Council determined that based on its investigation and sample results, “there was no immediate risk to public health at this time”.
Mr Medcalf said the Council takes issues of community safety very seriously.
“As a precautionary measure, we have organised an asbestos removal contractor to do a thorough walkover of Martin Reserve to remove any asbestos that may be visible at ground surface as well as taking underground samples,” he said.
“Following this, an occupational hygienist will inspect the site to determine if it is clear of asbestos containing material.”
No timeline has been provided for when the inspection will take place, when samples will be taken or when results are expected to be know.
The Council did not respond to questions about where the fill had been sourced and what screening of the fill had taken place.
