Dr Julie Chambers at Roberta Road Reserve, beside Glendowie Bay. Photo: Supplied
An Auckland school has stopped its children going on beach trips after alarm at bits of building material with asbestos in it washing up.
Almost 200 schools were sent a warning sign by the Education Ministry earlier this week.
Glendowie School took immediate action.
"Based on [that] ... we have taken the step to discontinue any trips that involve direct contact with our local beaches, until such time that we know it is safe to return to those spaces," said principal Dr Paul Crowhurst.
Thousands of small pieces of asbestos-containing fibre cement board have been littering the sand around Tāmaki Estuary on various beaches.
"There are a lot of very, very concerned residents," said the chair of Tāmaki Estuary Protection Society, Dr Julie Chambers.
"We've been aware of this material washing onto the beach for some years but hadn't realised that it wasn't being investigated."
The council says it cleaned up Glendowie and Karaka beaches recently and that the risk was "negligible".
"The risk ... is considered extremely low to beach-users but we are taking a precautionary approach," said its general manager of licensing and compliance, Robert Irvine, in a statement to RNZ.
The material was "non-friable" - not causing dust that could become airborne, which is when asbestos gets dangerous and can kill if inhaled.
"We are continuing to inform the Medical Officer of Health and receive advice ... on this matter."
The council had put up notices, was monitoring other beaches to see if the problem was widespread, and is advising people not to touch the material, which are mostly pieces smaller than the palm of a hand.
It recently removed the material from beaches in Glendowie and Karaka.
Some locals feel the council is not taking it seriously enough.
"The council has made no attempt to contact any local schools, nature schools, ECE [early childhood education] groups or community groups that use these areas," said one local, who RNZ agreed not to name, about the situation prior to the notices that went out this week.
The ministry said it notified 197 schools as a "duty of care".
"We are aware that local schools and Early Childhood Centres use these areas, including for beach clean-ups," it emailed them on Tuesday, advising them to avoid contact.
Asbestos found at Tāmaki Estuary. Photo: Supplied
It told RNZ that its assessment of the level of risk was based on Auckland Council's confirmation that asbestos was present in debris form, which could be easily picked up or handled.
"Considering the curious nature of children, it therefore warranted informing nearby schools and Early Childhood Centres."
The council had alerted the ministry earlier this week.
Locals say they first alerted the council in 2021, but then in steady manner since early February this year.
Old fibre-cement board is a common source of asbestos. It is called Class B and is less likely to release dangerous fibres into the air than other types - unless, as WorkSafe advice states, "it is disturbed or has started to deteriorate".
It is not clear where the asbestos-containing material is coming from, and the council said it was still trying to find out; locals speculate it may be from old or demolished houses as far upstream as Mt Wellington, or possibly being exposed as wakes hit the shore from more and more boating.
"We are very keen to see Auckland Council find the source, clean up the contamination and keep the public well informed," Chambers said.
The estuary society has called a public meeting for 29 May with a talk by an asbestos expert.
The council told a local that public health authorities agreed the beach bits were "mostly wet and in relatively small quantities ... any exposure to asbestos airborne fibres would be negligible and well below the asbestos guidelines".
But Chambers said if the material washed up above the high-tide mark it would dry out and she would be very cautious going near it.
This did not auger well for the society's regular beach clean-ups.
As for Glendowie School, while the beaches had been part of its curriculum for over 70 years, that did not include clean-ups, it said.
The council's own routine advice on its website says households and businesses must arrange for tests if they think they have any asbestos-containing material, and dispose of any using a certified removal company.
WorkSafe's advice stated, "All forms of asbestos are harmful to humans".
Chambers said, "I'd like to see a proper investigation carried out by experts and something published [so] that we're all aware.
"I hope that there will be a concerted effort to deal with this issue and to get our beaches back clean again. That's that's what we really want.
"We want to be able to go to the beach and feel safe and just enjoy the the shoreline."
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