Released 19/02/2024
The ACT Government has responded quickly to identify if the ACT is impacted by bonded asbestos in mulch, following findings of it in NSW.
The ACT Environmental Protection Authority (ACT EPA) is engaging with the NSW Government Asbestos Taskforce, which has been established to manage the issue.
The ACT has also established a local Taskforce, led by the ACT EPA and bringing together key areas of the government, including WorkSafe ACT, to take a risk based regulatory approach to this issue in the ACT.
The ACT has strong regulatory controls in place around the processing of locally produced mulch. However, mulch can be purchased from interstate and on sold and/or used in the ACT, and this is a key area of current enquiry to protect the community.
The NSW EPA advised the ACT EPA on Saturday 17 February 2024 that potentially contaminated mulch was sold to ACT landscaping supply company Stonehenge Beltana in Pialligo.
The initial source of the mulch is south-west Sydney business Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility and the dates for potentially affected mulch coming to the ACT are between March and November 2023.
The ACT EPA has been advised that the mulch, marketed locally as ‘cottage mulch’, was sold on to 24 companies and 27 addresses in, and around, Canberra.
The ACT Government has acted quickly to prevent any further sale of the potentially affected mulch.
Records are held for many of the purchases, so most customers have already been contacted and informed by the retailer. Others will be contacted in the coming days as they are identified.
The ACT EPA would like to thank Stonehenge Beltana for their cooperation and proactive approach in working to support the management of this issue and will also seek to contact known customers.
Updates will be provided on the Access Canberra website at www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au.
It is important to note that the public health risk of bonded asbestos is low.
- Statement ends -
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