Following several businesses being locked out of a council-run not-for-profit facility in Melbourne after an asbestos scare, tenants have been denied access to return to the site despite a court order forcing the council to stop blocking access.
The Melbourne Innovation Centre in Alphington was forced to close access to the site before Christmas due to the presence of asbestos. This week, the council stood down the security and cleaning specialists who have been working at the site since the locks were installed.
At the end of December, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that the council’s action of locking traders out of the site without notice was not within their right.
Lawyers who represented the MIC at the VCAT tribunal last week, which acts as the intermediary between traders and the council, showed that the council had overreacted. The MIC conducted its own asbestos analysis by hiring AMCOSH, an independent contractor, who deemed the asbestos levels at the site safe.
Traders who spoke to The Age, said they are confused about the level of asbestos at the site and whether it actually poses any risk. Documents show that as far back as 2016 that there was “medium risk” exposure in at least one building at the site, and the report noted that “ongoing inspection and maintenance” would be required.
In December, the council locked out tenants, who were told that asbestos dust was detected at the site as recently as 2020 at a “medium risk”, and they were also told to seek medical advice.
The traders at the MIC are requesting all the historical testing data and site visits by councillors ahead of the vote.
Chief executive of the MIC, David Williamson, explained that AMCOSH was inspecting the site again this week. The inspection company would provide traders with an opinion on the safety of accessing the site, in addition to safety advice from WorkSafe.
A spokesman from WorkSafe said the agency “continues to monitor the site to ensure work conducted by a licensed asbestos removalist complies with occupational health and safety regulations.”
Darebin Council, which operates as the landlord at the facility, will vote on the future of the site next month.