❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Water Corporation's handling of asbestos exposure at the Minnivale Reservoir refurbishment project, including awareness timelines, investigation outcomes, and resource allocation. The response reveals failures in initial identification and highlights subsequent actions taken.
AnsweredQoN 4728Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the recent project to refurbish the Minnivale Reservoir and ask: (a) when did Water Corporation staff first become aware that there was asbestos sheeting and mastic on the Minnivale site? Who made that discovery and how was it discovered; (b) when did the CEO of the Water Corporation become aware that people had been exposed to asbestos at the Minnivale site; (c) when was the Minister for Water advised that people had been exposed to asbestos at the Minnivale site; (d) when did the Water Corporation become aware that more than 88 people had been potentially exposed to asbestos at or from the Minnivale site; (e) when was the Minister for Water advised that more than 88 people had potentially been exposed to asbestos at or from the Minnivale site; (f) has the Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM) investigation been completed and will the report be released; (g) have any additional resources been allocated to review the Water Corporation's management of asbestos and if yes how much and over what period; (h) what permanent additional resources have been allocated to the management of asbestos by the Water Corporation as a result of the Minnivale incident; (i) have any actions or sanctions been taken against the Water Corporation by Worksafe, Department of Environment Regulation (DER) or another agency in relation to the Minnivale incident, and if yes what were those actions or sanctions; (j) does the Minister for Water ackowledge that the plans for the Minnivale site included in the tender documents had a reference to asbestos sheeting so that the Water Corporaton should have known the buildings on site contained asbestos from day one of the project; (k) how much has the Minnivale incident cost the Water Corporation to-date and how much is it expected to cost in the long term; and (l) how many additional sites have been found to contain asbestos as a result of the review done after the Minnivale incident?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 February 2016
Responded by
Minister for Water
Response time
83 days
(a) On 11 September 2014, a consultant visited the Minnivale Reservoir site as part of an inspection program and took samples of the fascia panels and mastic. Samples confirmed the presence of asbestos and the Water Corporation’s Asbestos Asset Register was updated on 10 October 2014 to include Minnivale Reservoir.
(b) The Acting CEO was advised on 9 October 2015.
(c) 15 October 2015.
(d) 23 October 2015.
(e) 26 October 2015.
(f) The Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM) has been completed and released publically on 29 January 2016.
(g) Yes. A Project Manager and initial funding of $1 million for a corporate–wide Asbestos Management Project to be completed within 12 months, has been allocated.
(h) The need for additional permanent resources will be determined by the Asbestos Management Project. (i) No. All information relating to the incident has been provided to Worksafe and DER. DER has elected to take no action relating to potential breaches under the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004.
(j) Original plans for the Minnivale site reference asbestos sheeting, and the Water Corporation should have known and identified this.
(k) Incident investigation costs to 30 November 2015 are $54 000. The long-term costs have not been determined.
(l) About 1 000 major capital projects completed by the Water Corporation over recent years have been reviewed against their Asbestos Asset Register which has identified no other sites where asbestos has not been correctly identified.
(b) The Acting CEO was advised on 9 October 2015.
(c) 15 October 2015.
(d) 23 October 2015.
(e) 26 October 2015.
(f) The Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM) has been completed and released publically on 29 January 2016.
(g) Yes. A Project Manager and initial funding of $1 million for a corporate–wide Asbestos Management Project to be completed within 12 months, has been allocated.
(h) The need for additional permanent resources will be determined by the Asbestos Management Project. (i) No. All information relating to the incident has been provided to Worksafe and DER. DER has elected to take no action relating to potential breaches under the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004.
(j) Original plans for the Minnivale site reference asbestos sheeting, and the Water Corporation should have known and identified this.
(k) Incident investigation costs to 30 November 2015 are $54 000. The long-term costs have not been determined.
(l) About 1 000 major capital projects completed by the Water Corporation over recent years have been reviewed against their Asbestos Asset Register which has identified no other sites where asbestos has not been correctly identified.
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