Page 2963 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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management is currently under examination to modernise processes and reporting. An electronic application is being investigated by key staff and will consider school requirements and legislative obligations.
The Education Directorate spent approximately $1.4 million during the 2018-19 financial year, undertaking 372 hazardous materials testing and removal projects. ACTÂ Property Group attended 64 education sites to remove and remediate asbestos-related materials such as non-friable sheeting, floor tile glue and window mastic.
The largest single site was the removal and remediation of garden beds at the Harrison school, following the discovery of non-friable asbestos. As members would recall, in August 2018 asbestos-containing material was identified at Harrison school in recycled building materials used as ground cover in the primary school garden beds. WorkSafe ACT was notified and tests confirmed positive results for very small amounts of non-friable asbestos. This meant that, if left undisturbed, it presented no hazard to staff or students.
However, to eliminate the chance of material being disturbed, construction fences were erected around all garden beds. A licensed asbestos removalist was engaged during the September school holidays and a clearance certificate was issued. Plans for the garden bed rehabilitation were subsequently completed, and landscape reinstatement works commenced in June this year.
In addition to this work, WorkSafe investigated the source of the material to determine whether any other locations have similar material. This work has not identified any other contaminated sites from landscaping materials delivered around the same time.
During the renovations of Narrabundah College, aged buildings containing friable asbestos were demolished. Alternative temporary accommodation was arranged, with students and staff occupying the buildings on day 1 of term 3, 2018. The demolition of the three affected buildings was completed prior to the start of the 2019 school year.
Asbestos removal works have been carried out at several other ACT government facilities, including at Ainslie Arts Centre, Gorman House Arts Centre, the terrace building at Exhibition Park in Canberra, EPIC, the Dickson library, Birrigai and Yarralumla Nursery.
Further, as part of site investigation works at the Canberra Technology Park in Watson, the extent of existing asbestos in the buildings became clear. The current tenants of the site are aware of this, and the site continues to be safely managed under an ongoing asbestos management plan. As part of announcing its decision on the future use of the site in April 2019, the government committed to demolish and remediate buildings on site prior to sale of the land, noting that the site investigations had highlighted the need for this to occur.
Housing ACT is an active and engaged property manager, with safety for residents and contractors at the core of its business. As such, Housing ACT undertakes
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