Mulch containing asbestos found near children's playground at Rozelle parklands

Asbestos – contaminated mulch has been discovered near a children's playground in the newly opened expansive Rozelle Parklands built above the multibillion-dollar spaghetti junction interchange.

Built on the site of the old Rozelle Rail Yards, the Rozelle Parklands boasts playgrounds, picnic areas, barbecues, a boardwalk, bush trails, and sports fields.

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) confirmed bonded asbestos, which is often mixed with cement, was discovered in samples of garden mulch at the Rozelle Parklands, which opened about three weeks ago.

The asbestos was only discovered after it was reported by a parent whose child had brought it home from the playground.

The NSW Government has closed the Rozelle parklands to the public and has called in contamination experts with the contractor involved having confirmed the mulch was also used elsewhere in Sydney.

Sydney’s Inner West Council Mayor, Darcy Byrne, said Council had been informed about the contamination around the children’s play area this morning.

Mayor Byrne noted “this is a serious safety concern for Council and our community as thousands of local children and families have been using Rozelle Parklands in the month since it opened.

“Contaminated material has been found in the mulch around the children’s playground.

 “As a parent whose children have been playing there myself, I understand how concerning this will be for many thousands of local people.

“Council has, this morning, written to Transport for NSW (TfNSW) insisting on urgent and immediate testing of the entire site and remediation to make the Parklands safe for public use. TfNSW have now closed the park and are undertaking thorough testing.

“It is beyond belief that such a long-awaited community facility has been opened with asbestos-contaminated materials contained within it.

“There must be a thorough investigation about how asbestos-contaminated material ended up within the park and if it is verified that this was carried out by the contractors constructing the park, then the Government should throw the book at them.

“We ask that all local people stay away from Rozelle Parklands until further notice.”

TfNSW has advised that it was working with contamination experts, NSW Health, SafeWork and the Environmental Protection Authority, as well as John Holland to understand if the garden product had been used elsewhere.

John Holland built the interchange and the park. One of its executives, Mark Davies, said today he could not immediately disclose a list of the other sites where the mulch had been used.

Davies noted “Some of the projects may well not be John Holland … projects. We’re working with relevant authorities and the supplier to identify the list at the moment.”

Testing has so far revealed ‘low-risk’ contamination in samples taken from the mulch near the Rozelle playground.

The bonded asbestos which detected in the two samples taken on Tuesday of garden mulch at the Rozelle Parklands is considered low risk because it is non-friable – unless damaged or old.

Friable asbestos is deemed high risk because it can be crumbled into a powder by hand.

Preliminary air quality tests at the site on Tuesday did not find airborne particles of asbestos outside normal levels.

TfNSW stressed the mulch in the children's playground area itself was "100 %" organic and advised that the contaminated mulch was the recycled type used in gardens next to the playground.

NSW Health Executive Director Dr Jeremy McAnulty said people typically needed to be exposed to high levels of asbestos over a period of time to be at risk of related disease.

An urgent audit is under way to determine what other sites could be affected by what the NSW premier, Chris Minns, described as “a toxic substance”.

The parkland was meant to appease inner west residents who had been challenged by years of tunnelling noises and road closures during the construction of the Rozelle interchange.

Fences have been erected around the playground with the public urged to stay away from the entire precinct.

All contaminated mulch at Rozelle was being replaced with the community to be updated.