Blue Mountains asbestos scandal worsens
Blue Mountains City Council has continued to fail residents, not reporting asbestos-laden material to Safe Work NSW two weeks after it was found.
Ray Hadley has slammed Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton for throwing the much-maligned council a lifeline.
“It’s a bloody disgrace, an absolute disgrace that this mob is still in charge.
“They’re unmitigated liars and Upton has fallen for them hook, line and sinker.”
Union delegates closed parts of the council’s Springwood depot after discovering asbestos material hadn’t been treated properly.
Council workers say the material was identified by Safe Work NSW in December and asbestos removalists were called to remove and seal the asbestos infected material at the site.
However, multiple areas of asbestos remain damaged or in poor condition.
Workers notified senior council staff about the asbestos problems on January 9 but the council didn’t notify Safe Work until Monday.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean tells Ray Hadley the council’s treatment of asbestos is “reprehensible”.
Mr Kean, says his confidence in Blue Mountains City Council is at an “all-time low”.
“[The Council] has had Safe Work crawling over their site… yet they failed to inform the regulator of another find of asbestos. It’s totally irresponsible.”
Mr Kean says inspectors will attend the site today.
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Ray has also revealed the “boys club culture” within the Blue Mountains City Council, exposing suspended senior council manager Stuart Liddell’s suspicious practices.
Ray has received proof a company Lidell was previously associated with, HRM Partners, was paid more than $40,000 by Blue Mountains City Council.
Lidell signed off on purchase orders for services including “emotional intelligence and leadership training”.
“Minister [Upton], there’s a stench surrounding Blue Mountain’s council that simply won’t go away and yet you pretend to see no evil, hear no evil and now you won’t speak any evil of them.”
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