A school that was discovered to have asbestos in its new playground has been dealt another cruel blow after students were told they could not return for weeks.
Around 700 students from Liverpool West Public School in Sydney’s southwest will be moved to nearby Gulyangarri Public School from next week.
Students are expected to stay there temporarily for at least a month.
Students were due to return to school on Tuesday, but contamination on the new playground was more prevalent than previously thought.
The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority He said the school was first flagged as a potentially dangerous site last Friday.
Liverpool West public school has been closed after asbestos was discovered in the playground
The EPA discovered that the mulch used on the school grounds came from the same company that supplied Rozelle Parklands, which recently made headlines after a young child took asbestos from the mulch home.
Liverpool West students will spend this week learning from home.
“We ask for your patience as we arrange alternative teaching arrangements for your children at nearby Gulyangarri Public School over the coming weeks,” Education Minister Prue Car said.
‘The safety of your children is our top priority, as is their learning. The Department will speak to families today about next steps.’
Ms Car assured that Gulyangarri Public has the capacity to accommodate the additional students and that classes will not be merged.
“The NSW Government understands how frustrating this must be for school parents and teachers and I assure you that the decision to temporarily close the school was not made lightly,” he said.
“We are acting out of an abundance of caution and doing so quickly to ensure the safety of the school community.”
Removal and cleanup of asbestos will take at least a month
The Education Minister added that Liverpool West was the only school in New South Wales with potentially dangerous mulch.
Asbestos has currently been found at 22 sites across Sydney, including parks, schools, train stations and construction sites.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the situation as “completely unacceptable”.
The EPA has prohibited the supplier of the affected mulch from selling the landscaping material and an investigation is underway to find the source of the asbestos.
However, the supplier, Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility (GRRF), is convinced the mulch does not contain the deadly substance when it leaves its sites and has evidence to back up its claim.
Workers were seen removing asbestos from Liverpool West Public School on Wednesday.