Asbestos row at Cafe Dbar
NEIGHBOURS say asbestosladen roof sheeting was being “thrown into a skip” and shattering during the demolition of Cafe Dbar.
Kimberley Crawford said she lived opposite the Point Danger landmark and had concerns not enough care was being taken removing the asbestos cladding.
Mrs Crawford, a volunteer board director for the Asbestosis and Mesothelioma Association of Australia, said workers removing the roofing wore correct PPE, but those handing it on the ground did not.
A spokesman for the company behind the demo said correct health and safety procedures had been followed and there were no health risks associated with the work.
He suggested Ms Crawford contact WorkSafe or him directly in the future.
Ms Crawford said workers “were handing the roofing to a person who was throwing it into a skip and then it’s shattering and fibres are likely going everywhere”.
“These men should not be throwing it, I can hear the loud bangs – it’s dangerous stuff.”
Mrs Crawford said in NSW neighbours were advised a week in advance if a site with asbestos was being demolished, so if they wanted to vacate the area they could.
“There are people just casually walking past the site having a look at what’s going on,” she said. “I also think there should be more boarding around the site during its demolition.”
Mrs Crawford’s husband Garry, in his 50s, said he had been removing asbestos sheeting since he was 16 and the roofing material being taken down at Cafe Dbar was Super Six and contained asbestos.
“It’s hard not to break those sheets,” he said. “Back in the day I also used to hand cut it with no mask.”
Super Six roofing is a trade name for asbestos-cement sheet roofing materials that were used extensively from the 1940s to the late 1980s. It was fire-resistant, easy to install, robust and easy to mould into corrugated roofing materials.
Mrs Crawford said in regards to residents renovating, an increasing number of people were cutting corners because of the high cost of removing asbestos safely.
“Our friend’s husband was renovating their bathroom and during the process found asbestos sheeting behind the tiles. It cost an extra $10,000 to remove,” she said. “Then they found more and the price went up dramatically. They could afford it but many families with three young children can’t.”
The demolition of Cafe Dbar has been controversial, with community advocates against the planned 12-storey
luxury tower to be built in its place. Many neighbours are upset the area was losing a historical landmark and gaining a building that didn’t fit in with the character of the Point Danger area.