Asbestos

Mulch laced with bonded asbestos is discovered at a residential complex in Canberra, as one landscaping company describes learning their products contain the material as "a major kick in the guts".

Disturbing news has emerged about mulch containing asbestos in parks, schools and homes in NSW and possibly Canberra, with concern over the risk to human health. But dogs love to sniff, dig and roll on the ground — placing them at risk, too, writes Chiara Palmieri.

WorkSafe ACT confirms mulch contaminated by bonded asbestos has been supplied to customers in the territory, and warns anyone who purchased '"cottage mulch" products between March 1, 2023 and February 19, 2024 not to distribute or disturb it.

Bicentennial Park, an aged care facility, a parish and a private residence are among new sites that have tested positive for asbestos in Sydney.

Asbestos, it seems, is everywhere around Sydney at the moment. 7.30 went to industry insiders to find out why. The answer according to someone else who owns a similar business is a "major let-down in processes".

Seven more sites, including another school and an Aldi supermarket have been confirmed as containing bonded asbestos on site in Sydney.

The NSW Environment Protection Agency said that 41 sites have been identified as having bonded asbestos, with 683 tests returning negative results since last month.

St Luke's Catholic College in Marsden Park and Penrith Christian School in Orchard Hills join the growing list of sites found to contain contaminated mulch.

Many sites across Sydney remain cordoned off for testing to check the potentially asbestos contaminated mulch, and the list of sites is growing longer, but authorities say the risk from undisturbed material remains low.

The NSW environment watchdog embarks on the biggest investigation in its history, as some schools anxiously wait on results to see if they'll join the list of sites with asbestos contaminated mulch.

The asbestos task force set up by the NSW government is continuing to investigate sites suspected of containing the toxic hazard and are assisting the EPA investigation.

Dozens of new sites in Sydney have been listed for asbestos testing as part of a major investigation by the state's Environment Protection Authority.

The environment protection body is continuing its investigation into the supply chain which has seen potentially asbestos contaminated mulch testing broaden to include seven schools across Sydney, a Woolworths supermarket and a hospital.

The NSW government launched a task force to investigate asbestos found in mulch at numerous sites across Sydney, with homes now potentially included in contaminated sites.

Liverpool West Public School is shut for another two weeks following the cancellation of the annual Fair Day event at Sydney's Victoria Park, both due to asbestos concerns.

The state's Environment Protection Authority confirmed the locations include multiple parks, infrastructure projects sites, various rail corridors, a school, and a hospital.

More than 20 sites have now been identified, with friable asbestos now being found in mulch.

The City of Sydney found bonded and friable asbestos at three parks across the inner-city area, near Broadway, Surry Hills and Central Station. As more locations are added to the growing list.

Contaminated mulch containing asbestos has been found in Sydney's inner west and western suburbs after first being discovered in Rozelle Parklands. How worried should people be about this substance?

The contaminated mulch has been found at three substations along a Sydney metro line and two landscaped areas along the Prospect Highway.

The inner-west Sydney park will remain closed from Tuesday until April while an estimated 10 tonnes of contaminated mulch is removed.  

Rozelle Parklands' asbestos debacle has everyone from the Inner-West Mayor to the Prime Minister weighing in, as locals vent their anger.

It's also been revealed that the New South Wales transport authority was emailed about asbestos in the Rozelle Parklands seven days before testing the site.

The list of contaminated sites related to the Rozelle Interchange Project grows as three landscaped garden beds test positive for bonded asbestos.

Calls are being made to strip the parklands in Rozelle of all of its mulch after the discovery of more bonded asbestos.