The old saleyards in Bathurst, NSW, have finally been cleared of asbestos and are ready to be put to new use.
After being used for livestock markets for 120 years, the properties have taken three years to clean up, after being found to have low level contamination from septic tanks in 2010 and then found to have asbestos in the cement sheeting last year.
The asbestos, which is a known carcinogen and can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and the malignant pleural mesothelioma, has been since removed, and an environmental hygienist has given the NSW site the all-clear for future commercial use, according to the ABC.
Bathurst Regional Council, which is just three hours from Sydney in NSW, will decide how the old saleyards will be used and release a recommendation report over the next few months.
Asbestos has caused many problems in New South Wales. Many reported cases of mesothelioma in NSW have been made for decades. This is as a result of the legacy of so much asbestos being used in Sydney and in regional areas up until the mid 1980s.
