The lower house chamber of the South Australian Parliament has been closed indefinitely after tests showed the presence of asbestos.
Workers contracted to re-paint the chamber’s ceiling discovered asbestos fibres in the paint of the 130-year-old canvas awning and also asbestos in the dust disturbed in the ceiling space, which is connected to the chamber’s air-conditioning system.
Further testing has been planned, with experts instructed to check for more asbestos and other dusts such as lead dust and also bacteria.
Speaker Lyn Breuer said yesterday that the investigation and potential removal of the asbestos could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a minimum time frame of six week before the chamber is safe for parliament to sit again.
Estimates Committee meetings are being moved to another part of Parliament House in Adelaide this week, with a decision on parliamentary sittings for next week to be taken later on.
Asbstos is a dangerous substance that has been known cause the rare cancer mesothelioma. Claims for mesothelioma compensation have taken place before in South Australia and also other Australian states such as New South Wales and Victoria.
South Australia has one of the highest incidences of Mesothelioma in the world. The South Australian parliament introduced specific legislation a number of years ago to assist South Australian asbestos compensation claims, such as compensation claims for Mesothelioma. South Australian Mesothelioma compensation claims are now case managed by the Court to ensure expedition of such asbestos claims.
