Sixteen public schools in Canberra and one school in Brisbane are closed today, with several others partially closed, after asbestos was detected in decorative coloured sand products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a national recall for Kadink Sand, Educational Colours Rainbow Sand, and Creatistics Coloured Sand following laboratory tests that found traces of chrysotile, a naturally occurring asbestos.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry confirmed that Kadink Decorative Sand was used in some Canberra schools for sensory play and arts and crafts, leading to the closures. In Brisbane's west, Mancel College, a specialist school for children with language disorders, closed its campus after discovering the sand product at both its junior and senior school.
Federal Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Rebecca White stated that individual jurisdictions and their regulatory bodies would decide on school closures. She urged Officeworks, which sold the products, to take responsibility. Officeworks said it had stopped selling the sand and obtained an independent risk assessment concluding no identifiable safety hazard, but withdrew the products as a precaution.
Indooroopilly Outside School Hours Care (IOSHC) in Brisbane initially closed after alerting parents to the sand's use in its after-school program, but later reopened following updated advice from the Queensland Department of Education. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the department had contacted over 1,200 schools, confirming most were unaffected, with about 66 still to be checked. He emphasized not overreacting while keeping safety in mind.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie expressed concern for consumers who purchased the products, particularly for children. The ACCC recall remains in effect, and parents with the recalled sand are advised to take precautions when disposing of it.
