Castle Hill MP Ray Williams has accused the NSW Department of Education of “seriously compromising” the health of 2,000 people connected to Castle Hill High School after falsely declaring in 2016 that the school had no asbestos.
Although the department made efforts to correct the error in 2020, it is reported that it has been unable to answer questions from the school community.
Castle Hill MP Ray Williams says he was informed of the asbestos result last Thursday at a meeting with the community. Credit: Facebook
The department informed the Castle Hill community in 2016 that the school had tested negative for asbestos when in fact it tested positive.
At the time, the department acknowledged the mistake, but said there was a “low or negligible” risk of exposure to hazardous materials in the air.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Williams said, “CHHS teachers and parents have filed numerous asbestos complaints with the Department of Education for several years that still remain unanswered.”
He said he became aware of the incorrect asbestos test report last Thursday when he was presented with a positive 2016 asbestos test result.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said in a statement on Tuesday that she was aware of the alleged mismanagement of asbestos last month.
“These are serious allegations that are being investigated by both the Department of Education’s Ethical and Professional Standards Unit and SafeWork NSW,” he said.
A department spokesman said he was “confident” that there were no current asbestos problems at the school.