Central Coast Council, with the assistance of environmental specialist consultants, is digging test pits and undertaking air quality monitoring along Terrigal and Wamberal Beach this week as it implements parts of the recommendation in the risk management plan.

Council Unit Manager of Natural and Environmental Assets, Luke Sulkowski, said Council was continuing its action plan for the beach to confirm and provide confidence to the community in the safety of the beach.

“I want to assure the community, the risk to public health is still considered, by experts, to be low due to the size and nature of the material and that it is in bonded form,” Mr Sulkowski said.

“Council has started these additional works, to be extra vigilant in our commitment to remove potential asbestos containing material from the beaches.

“Today there are excavators and environmental specialists at the beach doing the testing and monitoring identified within the risk management plan to best avoid any potential escalation in risk from the current identified low-risk situation.

“Council is not digging up the whole beach by any means and the beaches continue to remain open and safe for all to enjoy.

“It is unfortunate that again Council and the community are being left to manage the on-going issues of this material being washed up or dumped in our environment.

“The community must help in this fight. Please exercise caution at all times – always report unknown material to Council or the Environment Protection Authority on 131 555 so it can be removed.

“Contact authorities if you know this material has been dumped – there are heavy penalties for those who are caught dumping asbestos containing material as there should be.

“The community can be assured this is a key priority of Council and we will continue to be vigilant and will take all necessary precaution and action in the interests of community safety.”

Council will continue daily inspections and monitoring of the beach and assess the results with advice from expert consultants with regard to future management of asbestos risk on the beaches. Council will continue to update the community accordingly as further information from the current monitoring program becomes available.