Sydney’s asbestos crisis has reached absurd new levels according to a resident who shared a photo of almost a dozen trees and garden beds roped off in a city street amid fears they may have been contaminated with the dangerous substance.
The photo taken by a pedestrian on Abercrombie Street in Chippendale, near the city’s CBD, on Tuesday showed trees sectioned off with red-and-white tape.
A ‘possible asbestos’ notice had been attached to the tape on each individual tree.
The move was made after authorities were alerted that asbestos may have been detected in mulch below the trees.
Almost a dozen trees on Abercrombie Street in Chippendale (pictured) were taped off on Wednesday over fears asbestos could be contained in the mulch underneath
The pedestrian who took the photograph slammed the attempt to alert those using the footpath about the possible presence of asbestos, expressing disbelief at the idea taping off the trees would protect people from exposure to the substance.
‘It’s a complete farce,’ they said.
‘How are these ropes supposed to protect people from poisonous mulch?
‘The whole street had each individual tree fenced off.’
The street is a heavily trafficked area used by hundreds of pedestrians and is not far from Sydney’s Central railway station.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the City of Sydney Council for comment.
NSW Premier Chris Minns had previously warned that more than a hundred sites across Sydney may potentially contain the hazardous material.
The asbestos-ridden mulch has been detected at more than 40 sites including schools, parks, and hospitals across NSW since the material was first detected on January 10 at the new Rozelle Parklands playground in Sydney’s inner west.
One pedestrian slammed the move to tape the trees off saying it would do little to protect those who used the footpath (pictured, taped off areas on a Sydney footpath)
The asbestos-ridden mulch has been detected at more than 40 sites including schools, parks (pictured, Victoria Park), and hospitals across NSW
The issue has also affected a dozen schools across the city with St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park the latest to close its doors until the problem is resolved after 30 cubic metres of mulch at the school tested positive to asbestos.
Just days earlier Liverpool Public School was shut down after asbestos was discovered on the campus, with hundreds of students shifted to another school nearby while the mulch was removed.
Last week one local uploaded an eerie photo that showed several workers in hazmat suits inspecting mulch contaminated with asbestos at the park in Rozelle.
The NSW Government allege GreenLife Resource Recovery Facility as the source of the asbestos crisis.
The company’s Bringelly site, in Sydney’s south-west, had four clean-up notices issued by the EPA after multiple asbestos pollution incidents prior to it owning the site.
Greenlife general manager Domenic Vitocco insists his company is not to blame, telling Daily Mail Australia last week it has ‘been made a scapegoat’ by the state government.
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