Walgett Shire demands urgent action over asbestos stockpiles near homes
Asbestos-contaminated material has sparked health fears in the Aboriginal communities of Namoi and Gingie. (Supplied: Walgett Shire Council)
In short:
The Walgett Shire Council is demanding the state government clean up two contaminated asbestos sites.
The government says the contamination predates its project.
What's next:
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure says it is working with Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council and Walgett Shire Council to address this issue.
A dispute is brewing in far-western NSW over who is responsible for removing tens of thousands of cubic metres of asbestos-contaminated material stockpiled near homes in Indigenous communities.
Walgett Shire Council said around 40,000 cubic metres of waste had been sitting in two large piles close to family homes and play areas in the Namoi and Gingie communities outside Walgett since 2023.
The council alleges the material is linked to the NSW government's Roads to Home program, an initiative that funds essential infrastructure on Aboriginal-owned land, enabling local Aboriginal Land Councils to lead decisions in their communities.
In 2019, Namoi and Gingie were chosen among 10 discrete Aboriginal communities to be part of the initial program, to take place over four to five years.
"We've had enough," Council general manager Andrew Brown said.
"It's time that the asbestos-contaminated material is collected and taken where it should be — to the landfill site."
Mr Brown, who has been the general manager for the past 12 months, said the clean-up was stalled over costs to dispose of the material.
"I don't know why it was left there," he said.
"Crown Lands approached the then-council to have a reduction in landfill fees for the asbestos to be moved to the Walgett landfill site."
"There was then an argument I believe about GST payable and then the entire thing stalled and it's been sitting there ever since."
A large mountain of asbestos-contaminated material near the Indigenous community of Namoi. (Supplied: Walgett Shire Council)
Government says it's not responsible
The NSW government disputes the contamination stems from its program.
The ABC understands asbestos was collected and signposts were erected around the material in 2021–2022.
In 2023–2024, authorities began planning how to dispose of the asbestos. Options including a reduced disposal fee at the tip and encapsulating the contaminated material in place were also considered.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) said the asbestos material was a "legacy" issue caused by "historical illegal dumping, deteriorating fibro housing and inadequate demolition practices that occurred previously in the Namoi and Gingie communities".
"The department is working with Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council and Walgett Shire Council to address this issue.
"$6.08 million in funding has been provided to Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council to support remediation of the legacy asbestos as part of total grant funding of $15.3 million to support delivery of Roads to Home program civil infrastructure upgrades in the communities."
Council unaware of funding
Walgett Shire Council said the contractors who stockpiled the material were engaged under the Roads to Home project, which is administered through NSW Crown Lands.
"Council has never been advised that Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council received funds to manage or dispose of this material," Mr Brown added.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said it had been working closely with Walgett Shire Council and Crown Lands over the last two years to assist them in removing stockpiled asbestos-contaminated waste.
The ABC has contacted the Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council for comment.