The ACT Education Directorate has announced that 70 schools in Canberra will be closed on Monday due to asbestos concerns, following the recall of additional coloured sand products by Kmart and Target.
On Friday, 16 schools and six preschools were fully closed, and eight others partially closed, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a recall for coloured sand products containing traces of asbestos. The new recalls have expanded the scope of the closures.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said the latest recalled products were used more widely in Canberra schools than initially thought, necessitating the closure of additional schools. She noted that 22 public schools with no sand or cleared for reopening would be fully open on Monday, with some relocating classes.
Visual inspections are underway in all potentially affected schools, with SES volunteers and school staff searching for coloured sand. Licensed asbestos contractors will then test, remediate, and clear the spaces. Berry emphasized that the risk to staff and students remains low, with all air testing so far negative for airborne asbestos.
Berry acknowledged the significant disruption to families and workplaces, urging understanding as the situation is resolved. Education Directorate director-general Jo Wood said the decision to close schools was significant and that more information on the duration of closures would be available on Monday.
