Devonport Maternity Hospital asbestos needs cleaning up now

Unions Tasmania

Tasmanian Branch of the ACTU

Media Release Friday, 7 May 2010

Devonport Maternity Hospital asbestos needs cleaning up now and this should never be allowed to happen again

Unions Tasmania Secretary, Simon Cocker urged an immediate clean up of asbestos at the old Devonport Maternity Hospital site and called on the Police Minister to investigate whether charges can be laid against the owners of the former hospital or its liquidator under section 150 of the Criminal Code* or the Environment Protection Act.

Mr Cocker has written to the Police Minister today asking her to consider a police investigation of the asbestos contamination emanating from the abandoned hospital building.

Mr Cocker also expressed concerns that this situation could arise again in a few years at the Burnie Paper Mill site. Steps need to be taken now to ensure that asbestos is removed from that site before it is abandoned.

It has been reported that Paperlinx does not intend to remove old buildings containing large amounts of ageing asbestos as part of its site remediation work after closing the Burnie mill. This has the potential for the company to leave a terrible legacy for the North West in terms of future disease and suffering as well as massive clean up costs for government.

Secretary of Unions Tasmania, Simon Cocker said:

“The old maternity hospital in Devonport is now derelict and vandalised and is putting lives at risk and urgent action needs to be taken to clean up the asbestos on the site and recoup the costs via legal proceedings.”

“We also have to learn from this experience. Paperlinx is preparing to vacate an old paper mill full of asbestos in Burnie. Are we going to be in the same position in five or ten years time when those buildings become derelict?”

* Section 150 of the criminal code act 1924 states:

150. Duty of persons in charge of dangerous things

It is the duty of every person who has anything in his charge or under his control, or who erects, makes, or maintains anything which, in the absence of precaution or care in its use or management may endanger human life, to take reasonable precautions against, and to use reasonable care to avoid, such danger.

Susan Wallace

Campaigns & Education | Unions Tasmania www.unionstas.com.au
Simon Cocker