Dozens of South Australian schools are affected with potentially deadly asbestos contamination, it has been revealed.
The revelation follows a Freedom of Information request, which subsequently revealed that 55 of the state’s schools have so-called “category 2” contamination, which is the second-worst of five categories.
According to the register, the worst-affected schools are:
- Adelaide High School (seven areas);
- Whyalla’s Edward John Eyre High School and Parafield Gardens High School (each with 11 areas);
- Grant High School at Mount Gambier (eight areas);
- Regency Campus (nine areas but rooms not found because of renumbering).
Family First Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Robert Brokenshire, told Adelaide Now that he applied for the release of the register so parents and patients could be told of the risks at schools and hospitals.
“There is no excuse for the Government to ignore this report because the health and safety at our schools and hospitals should be a priority,” Brokenshire said.
However, a spokesman for the South Australian Education Department denied there was a risk, saying that any category 1 asbestos would be “immediately removed”.
“And we also remove it under stringent safety conditions, with no staff or students on site and with air monitoring. As soon as practicable, or category 2, means we would like to remove it but it will be done when it is practicable,” the spokesman said.
“Do we want to have asbestos in our schools? No. Do we aim to remove it? Yes. Is it practical to remove it today? No.”
List of affected schools with category 2 asbestos:
- Adelaide High School; seven areas.
- Adelaide Secondary School of English; one area.
- Airdale Primary School; one area.
- Beachport Primary School; one area.
- Blackwood Primary School; three areas.
- Bordertown High School; one area.
- Brighton Primary Schools; three areas.
- Clapham Primary School; one area.
- Cleve Area School; two areas.
- Coomandook Area School; three areas.
- Crafers Primary school; one area.
- Craigmore High School; one area.
- Dernancourt Primary School; one area.
- East Para Primary School; two areas.
- Echunga Primary School; one area.
- Edward John Eyre High School; 11 areas.
- Elizabeth Grove Primary School; one area.
- Flagstaff Hill R-7 School; one area.
- Glossop Primary School; two areas.
- Grant High School; eight areas.
- Hamilton Secondary College; three areas.
- Keller Road Primary School; two areas.
- Kangaroo Inn Primary School; one area.
- Le Fevre High School; one area.
- Long Street Primary School; five areas.
- Light Pass Primary School; one area.
- Littlehampton Primary School; three areas.
- Marryatville High School; one area.
- Modbury High School; five areas.
- Modbury South Primary School; one area.
- Modbury West School; three areas.
- Ocean View P-12 College; one area.
- Orroroo Area School; one area.
- Parafield Gardens High School; 11 areas.
- Para Hills High School; three areas.
- Para Vista Primary School; three areas.
- Port Augusta Secondary School; three areas.
- Port Lincoln High School; two areas.
- Rapid Bay Primary School; two areas.
- Redwood Park Primary School; one area.
- Renmark Campus; one area.
- Regency Campus; nine areas but rooms not found because of renumbering.
- Renmark High School; three areas.
- Ridgehaven Primary School; one area.
- Salisbury East Primary School; four areas.
- Stradbroke Primary School; two areas.
- Stuart High School; three areas.
- Tantanoola Primary School; one area.
- The Heights School; four areas.
- Tintinara Area School; two areas.
- Upper Sturt Primary School; one area.
- Urrbrae Agricultural College; five areas.
- Victor Harbor High School; five areas.
- Wirreanda High School; one area.
- Woodville High School; two areas.
- Wudinna Area School; five areas.