A school where asbestos was found in its new playground has suffered another cruel blow after pupils were told they could not return for weeks.
About 700 students from Liverpool West Public School in Sydney’s south-west will be moved to nearby Gulyangarri Public School from next week.
It is expected that the students will temporarily stay there for at least a month.
The intention was for students to return to school on Tuesday, but infections on the new playground were more common than initially thought.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority said the school was first flagged as a potentially dangerous location last Friday.
Liverpool West Public School has been closed after asbestos was discovered in its playground
The EPA found that the mulch used on the school grounds came from the same company that supplied Rozelle Parklands, which recently made headlines after a young child brought home asbestos from the mulch.
Liverpool West students will be learning from home this week.
“We ask for your patience as we make alternative arrangements for teaching your children at the nearby Gulyangarri Public School in the coming weeks,” Education Minister Prue Car said.
“The safety of your children is our top priority, as is their learning. The department will be speaking to families today about next steps.”
Ms Car assured that Gulyangarri Public has the capacity to accommodate the additional students and that classes will not be merged.
“The NSW Government understands how frustrating this must be for parents and teachers at the school and I assure you the decision to temporarily close the school site has not been taken lightly,” she said.
“We are acting with great caution and quickly to ensure the safety of the school community.”
The asbestos removal and remediation will take at least a month
The Education Minister added that Liverpool West was the only school in NSW with the potentially dangerous mulch.
Asbestos has now been found in as many as 22 locations across Sydney, including parks, schools, train stations and construction sites.
NSW Premier Chris Minns called the situation ‘completely unacceptable’.
The supplier of the affected mulch has been banned by the EPA from selling the landscaping material, and an investigation is underway to determine the source of the asbestos.
However, the supplier – Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility (GRRF) – is confident that the mulch does not contain the deadly substance when it leaves their sites and tests are being carried out to back up their claim.
On Wednesday, workers were seen removing asbestos from Liverpool West Public School