Asbestos Prompts Evacuation of Australian Prison

April 11 , 2006 - A week after finding asbestos in the ground soil of an unoccupied area of Sydney, Australia’s Villawood Detention Centre officials have decided to evacuate the more than 250 detainees that are being held there.

The announcement came on April 10th that the detention centre would be closing for two weeks while asbestos is removed.  The detainees that are housed here will be moved to other correctional institutions across the country.

Reports circulated that Villawood was “riddled with asbestos”, prompting the closure, though many officials maintain that the amount of asbestos found does not pose a significant health hazard to those detained here. 

"The Federal Government must shut this site immediately and relocate the detainees to other sites around the country," Police Association secretary Peter Remfrey said on April 4.  In contrast, on April 6, a department spokesman said the detainees would not be evacuated from the centre immediately because the asbestos levels were considered "low risk".

But Federal Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone changed her mind, noting that she intended to “to relocate detainees for two weeks while [it] is removed, even though the risk is low.” 

“We are relocating detainees as a precautionary measure that will ensure there is no risk to the safety or health of staff, detainees, visitors, police or local residents," she said.

Australia has one of the worst asbestos problems on the globe as well as the highest rate of mesothelioma - asbestos-related cancer - in the world.