Wickham wool sheds fire: Residents air asbestos concerns at public meeting, but agency's say risk of exposure is low

Ash and dust from the blaze, which contained asbestos debris from the material that once made up the structure's roof, blanketed the surrounding neighbourhoods of Annie and Milford streets and The Avenue, as well as the surrounding suburbs as far 3.8 kilometres from the scene, sparking a large-scale clean-up operation that is expected to continue over the coming days and weeks.

On Friday, crews were out wiping down cars parked on Milford Street, after residents of the Avenue Apartments there were allowed to return to their homes for the first time on Tuesday, and cleaning at 98 apartments in the neighbouring Soque building continued this week.

Demolition of the gutted shell of the buildings destroyed by the fire was completed on Friday.

The Soque building was awaiting final certification, residents were told Friday night, with hopes they would be allowed to return home after the weekend.

Around 150 attending residents were assured that there was a very low risk of exposure to airborne asbestos, as a result of the ash and debris fallout, and that ongoing recordings from several air quality monitoring devices scattered about the impacted suburbs had shown no indication of airborne asbestos particles.

In a broad-ranging public meeting at the Gallipoli Legion Club, led by the incident controller, Newcastle Police Commander Wayne Humphrey, residents were briefed on the ongoing clean-up by representatives of the EPA, Public Works, Hunter New England Health, NSW Fire and Rescue, HAZMAT services and the City of Newcastle.

"My number one priority is to have displaced persons back in their homes and in their own beds," Detective Sgt. Humphrey said, adding that the operation had prioritised the neighbourhood closest to the blaze, as well as childcare centres and primary schools in the immediate area.

Comment: The Wickham fire's out, but the danger is far from passed

Philippe Porigneaux, the local health district's environmental health manager, said the risk of asbestos exposure had been mitigated in some part by wet weather during the fire, and in the days following, that worked to keep down dust and asbestos fragments that had settled in backyards and on roofs throughout the suburb, preventing them from becoming airborne.

"This is a really low-level exposure to asbestos," Mr Porigneaux said. "Even though this stuff was scattered all through the community, it is actually a low exposure. Air quality monitoring has not indicated any asbestos fibres in the air. Again, I think for a lot of the state the rain has been an issue, but for us it has been a benefit."

Mr Porigneaux urged residents to avoid the fragments that remain until they can be removed and to report incidences of asbestos on their properties by registering their homes for the ongoing clean-up operation via the EPA's website.

Andrew Russell of HAZMAT services said that as of Friday, more than 300 samples had been taken as part of his agency's air monitoring at the scene and elsewhere across the suburbs, and all had shown no detection of airborne asbestos. More than 260 samples were taken from within the Soque apartment building after cleaning was completed on Thursday, Mr Russell said, all of which similarly showed no airborne asbestos detection. Monitoring is expected to continue as residents are allowed to return to their homes over the coming days.

Islington Park was expected to re-open after its closure on Thursday, the City of Newcastle's representative David Clarke, said. Council crews had been conducting a clean-up there this week after debris was found on the site, and the area is expected to re-open after final certification, Mr Clarke said. He added that green bin collection in the neighbourhoods impacted by the fire were due for collection on Wednesday, but would remain uncollected until the potential asbestos debris mingled with grass and tree clippings inside could be safely dealt with.

"Once we've got that solution, we'll deploy it," he said, "And I'm hoping that there'll be some good news on the green bin front in the next little while, but for the time being, those bins will remain uncollected."

The meeting was attended by number of City of Newcastle councillors, and was opened by Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp who said he shared the community's concerns for safety following the blaze last week. Further public information sessions are expected over the coming days.

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