NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and Department Secretary Mark Scott will make an extraordinary visit to Newcastle East Public School on Monday after more samples tested positive for asbestos.
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Of 167 composite samples taken from around the school in recent days, three returned positive for asbestos. Two were identified in the sports shed and one in Room 4 of Block C, the same building where contaminated library books were found.
Room 4 was decontaminated on Thursday night and the sports shed will be decontaminated on the weekend.
The follow-up tested was done at the request of staff who learned of the contamination crisis when they returned to work on Monday. Several voiced concerns about the school reopening this week.
In addition to the Education Minister and department secretary, schools infrastructure manager Anthony Manning, the department's leader of safety and wellbeing Andrew Hall, Hunter New England Health's environmental health manger Philippe Porigneaux and independent hygienist Andrew Hall will attend Monday's meeting at 5pm.
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School council president Lisa Piefke said the latest test results had made a difficult situation worse.
"They have been trying to make people feel that everything is Ok. It's clearly not. The contamination has clearly spread from the heritage building to other parts of the school," she said.
Ms Piefke said the school community would be demanding detailed answers on Monday.
"We want to know what has really happened. People will not be satisfied with spin or political answers."
In addition to the irreplaceable heritage items we have lost, an enormous amount of teaching resources, many of which the parents have helped pay for. Is the department going to replace those?
Questions still remain how about why irreplaceable heritage items from the school, the oldest operating school in Australia, were destroyed.
A department spokesman said on Friday that destruction of the items, while deeply regrettable, occurred based on the advice from its hygienist
But another hygienist told the Newcastle Herald that there was "always a way" to decontaminate materials.
"Yes, It's expensive but it can be done," he said.
"I did a job at a private school in Sydney where contaminated items were placed into a shipping container that a negative air flow going through it. Each item was individually cleaned inside the container."
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said he was furious about the loss.
"It's astonishing that items of such historical significance could just be thrown away. We need a full explanation of how this was allowed to occur, who approved it and what options were considered to preserve the collections," he said.
"If any items have not been destroyed it is critical that the department does everything possible to preserve them."
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
