The risk of exposure to waste from a former asbestos factory in northern Brisbane will be systematically examined by Queensland authorities, a community forum has been told.
About 60 people attended last night’s forum about asbestos concerns at Gaythorne in Brisbane’s north-west.
Government agencies are investigating the ongoing risk of exposure to people living near the site of the old factory.
Queensland Health held the forum to provide an overview of a multi-agency investigation of the former Wunderlich asbestos plant at Bellevue Avenue, which operated from 1936 until 1983.
The investigation’s primary focus is to determine the current health risks for residents living in close proximity to the former plant.
The meeting heard general ambient contaminations were likely to have washed away with rain and flood events.
Queensland Health officials said the current risk of asbestos exposure was likely to be very low.
Sophie Dwyer from Queensland Health told people at the meeting they should not be concerned about living in the area in the meantime.
“I think that we have to treat all asbestos carefully and we understand a lot of the risks,” she said.
“We have to manage that accordingly – if you have any asbestos cement products in your environment we should be managing it according to the rules we know now.”
Ms Dwyer said the investigation would take several months to complete.
“Do I think I safe it’s safe to live in the area? I would not be concerned about living in the area.
“Do you need to take care? I think there is [a need] but we do need to understand it better.
“This is a long-term problem, not an acute problem – in other words it is a long-term exposure.
“Do we need to understand it better? Absolutely which is what we are trying to do.”
Reaction mixed after meeting
The audience was concerned, but well-mannered.
Steve Bodrog, who lives near the former factory site, told the ABC he found the meeting informative.
“There’s been a lot of people that get scared very easily,” he said.
“I think she kept to the facts which made me happy because I’m not one who scares just for nothing.”
But others remained unconvinced.
Theresa McAllister said she was even more concerned after hearing the history of asbestos in the suburb.
“Because the old people know and remember but they’re sort of being disregarded,” she said.