A government audit in Queensland has revealed that nine schools currently contain asbestos that is classified as ‘unstable’ or ‘severely damaged’, with community groups concerned as to how remediation will proceed and how it will affect students.
One of the schools listed in the audit report is Stafford Heights State School which has as many as two hundred students, which contains asbestos in the ceiling of the administration building, and it has ranked as the highest priority for repair work.
Other schools listed as having asbestos on their grounds include:
- Southport State High School
- Springwood Road State School
- Milperra State High School
- Kenmore South State School
- Narbethong State Special School
- Patricks Road State School
- Pine Rivers State High School
- Harristown State High School
The Queensland Education Minister has moved to ease concerns around the cleanup tasks ahead, noting that remediation work will be done during school holidays to minimise the interruption to students.
“If it isn’t disturbed, it’s not a danger, but obviously we do find where we need to remove asbestos, and we have a multimillion-dollar program where we do that on a priority basis,” Minister Grace Grace said today.
The incidence of asbestos being uncovered in schools in the states is reflected in the amount that the Queensland government is spending on remediating the issue.
More than 110 schools were subject to asbestos remediation in the last financial year to February, with the costs hitting more than $6,000,000. Using the number of sites currently awaiting asbestos remediation following positive tests, the forecast for those costs is expected to top $11,000,000 by the end of the financial year.