Popular Sydney beach, Little Bay, will be closed for at least two weeks over asbestos contamination concerns. Authorities have known the presence of asbestos at the site for eight months.
A local resident first raised the alarm, and Randwick City Council has confirmed it continues to find more asbestos fragments on the beach. The most recent closure will allow for a detailed site investigation.
In a statement, Randwick City Council Mayor, Danny Said, explained that they are “continuing to find asbestos-containing materials on the surface.”
“We need to undertake a more detailed inspection to understand the extent of the contamination and how best to manage it in the long-term.”
The investigation will assist in determining the exact locations, source and breadth of the issue at the site. The council is so confident that the beach is safe that it will continue to reopen it over weekends.
“Since the asbestos was discovered, we have worked closely with external experts to make sure the beach remains safe for use by undertaking regular ’emu picks’ and ongoing site monitoring,” Mayor Said said.
At the time of the original discovery, more than 100 fragments of ACM were found at the beach, removed and tested.
The council website explains that “Given the ongoing discovery of asbestos fragments on the beach, it is likely the material is surfacing from nearby gullies which may have been used as landfill sites prior to 1988 when the adjacent Prince Henry Hospital was operating.”
The council consulted with long-term local residents and believes the site may have been used as a dumping ground.
“Such practices were not uncommon along the eastern suburbs coastline,” it said.
As many as forty-five test pits are scheduled to be dug on the beach for soil sampling, the results of which will be published on the council’s website.