Wallaga Lakes Aboriginal community must be evacuated

Government inquiry needed into poisoning of entire community

18 May 2009

 Australia’s main asbestos advocacy group, ADFA, is today calling for the urgent evacuation of an Aboriginal community on the NSW South Coast, following independent test results confirming widespread asbestos contamination across the entire community.

 The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA) is also calling for the federal Government to institute an urgent independent inquiry into exactly how an entire community could be exposed to asbestos for so many years.

 ADFA President Barry Robson, who has visited the Wallaga Lakes Aboriginal community several times in the last month, said that a war of words had broken out between state and federal government as to how the contamination had occurred and who was responsible for the clean up.

 “How this fiasco occurred remains to be seen – and should be the subject of a thorough, independent inquiry.“

 “What is needed now however is the urgent evacuation of the entire community until the area is made safe.  Currently we have children playing in and around asbestos contamination and government authorities who should know better failing to so much as put up the correct warning signage.”

 “The independent test results are in, Wallaga Lakes is a ticking bomb.” 

 “One thing is certain – this sort of fiasco would not be tolerated in a white Australian community.” 

 “Blame can and should be apportioned later, but now this community needs to be taken to safety urgently.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 8:25 am.