All Known Asbestos To Go From Newcastle East Public School By End Of Year

BY IAN CROUCH

Asbestos contamination at the historic Newcastle East Public School will be a thing of the past by the end of the year.

Concerns were raised by parents and teachers on the first day of Term 1 this year after friable asbestos was found in the school's heritage buildings during renovations over the summer holidays.

The state government has spent $1.4 million up until March 25 on asbestos removal and a further $150,000 on replacing potentially contaminated library books and sports equipment.

Newcastle Mp Tim Crackanthorp says the Education Department has confirmed all known asbestos will be removed by the end of 2020, while artificial turf will be laid on already-encapsulated asbestos in the school playground.

Newcastle East Public School

Questions Over Asbestos At Newcastle East Public School Go Unanswered

BY IAN CROUCH

Newcastle MP, Tim Crackanthorp says the Department of Education has failed to respond to all the questions put by parents over the asbestos contamination crisis at Newcastle East Public School.

The department responded to more than 50 questions as promised by Wednesday night but Tim Crackanthorp says many questions were not answered at all.

In particular, the department was asked if former students, parents, staff and volunteers had been notified of the asbestos discovery, however the questions were not answered.

Tim Crackanthorp says as there was no historic sampling, it's not possible to know how long former pupils and staff had been exposed to friable asbestos.

Questions over asbestos at Newcastle East Public School go unanswered