An Indigenous childcare centre has raised safety concerns after toxic fill was used at a construction site nearby. The Yappera Children’s Service Co-Operative in Thornbury is near the Sir Douglas Oval, where construction has begun on the Aboriginal Advancement Centre.
The local community became concerned after safety signage alerting locals to the presence of asbestos at the site appeared on the fencing outside the project.
Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung woman Stacey Brown said the community was unaware of the risks until the signage was put up.
“There are strict safety protocols in place around soil; once you disrupt the soil or move it, it can’t be repurposed. It needs to be removed off-site. That has to do with the carcinogens in the soil,” she told NITV News.
“We know the soil issues; we’ve soil tested our site when we’ve done renovations. We know the safety measures that need to be in place.”
The health of staff and students at the centre is the priority, she explained. On an occasion where the soil was being moved, two children were sent home in respiratory distress.
“There was lots of soil in the air, we brought the children inside, and we put towels in the gaps of the doors, but you can’t stop it all. We couldn’t stop what was coming in through the ventilation and the tiny cracks in windows,” she said.
The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CMFEU) is currently working with the organisation, and their legal team are working to determine how many people have been exposed since the beginning of March.
The union alleges that the company responsible for the work has exposed Yappera to “toxic soil, which may contain traces of toxic carcinogens including asbestos, arsenic and nickel”.
“These companies appear to have ignored the safety controls required by State OH&S laws to contain contamination, prevent exposure and reduce risk of people developing deadly diseases and illness,” they said.
“CMFEU has demanded that McMahon Services Australia provide the Construction Environmental Management Plan so that the potential exposure and harm to the Yappera community and workers can be assessed.”
The CMFEU has supported the centre in lodging a complaint with both WorkSafe and the Victorian branch of the Environmental Protection Authority.
A WorkSafe spokesperson confirmed they had visited the site to “ensure the removal of any asbestos-containing materials is appropriately managed.”