Name: Schools, childcare centres shut nationwide over asbestos concerns
Uploaded: 2025-11-19T12:21:39.108Z
Duration: 1 min 59 s
Description: Hundreds of schools and childcare centres across the country have been temporary shut down after it was found a popular play sand brand had been contaminated with asbestos.

Hundreds of schools and childcare centres across the country have been temporary shut down after it was found a popular play sand brand had been contaminated with asbestos.

Adelaide

An asbestos contamination crisis involving brightly coloured play sand has led to the doubling of affected sites across Australia. South Australia has the largest cluster, with over 450 schools and early learning centres impacted, while Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland are also responding to the issue with varying measures.

Authorities are deploying additional contractors for cleanup, and staff and families are being urged to record any potential exposure. The contamination was discovered by chance during laboratory testing, and there are increasing calls for a federal inquiry into how the product entered the country and whether current testing and disposal procedures are adequate.

Schools, childcare centres shut nationwide over asbestos concerns

The asbestos sand crisis just keeps spreading. The number of contaminated sites has tonight doubled nationwide. Hannah Watt joins us now and Hannah, multiple states are throwing extra contractors into the cleanup. They sure are, Ursula, but pressure is mounting for a full federal inquiry as parents demand answers about how a brightly coloured play sand containing asbestos entered the country in the first place. South Australia is dealing with the largest cluster, with more than 450 schools and early learning centres impacted. Collection crews are now working through sealed off areas, removing the recalled kinetic sand product. The scale of the operation means some schools face thousands of dollars in remediation costs. Victoria has confirmed the same magic sand was used across roughly 900 schools and childcare centres. But unlike other states, none have closed. And in Tasmania, they've temporarily closed 50 schools while the number of affected Queensland sites has climbed to 150, prompting calls for national consistency as each state responds differently. Staff and families are being urged to record any potential exposure in case health concerns emerge later. We are expanding though the number of contractors in the next couple of days who are who will be approved by the regulator, which is Safe Work SA, who can go out to sites and pick it up or do the deep clean, which will mean we can speed through that process. Oh look, this is stuff that's come in from our borders. We need to look at how it got into the country, whether the testing regime's appropriate. We certainly need to make sure it's disposed of appropriately. And Ursula, it's been revealed the contamination was first discovered by chance in a lab testing samples for staff training and machinery checks. It only came to authorities' attention after a lab manager mentioned it in a podcast.

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