Asbestos contamination has led to the cancellation of the beloved Mardi Gras Fair Day in Sydney just days before the event.
The event, which attracts over 70,000 attendees annually, was called off following the discovery of asbestos in Victoria Park, close to Sydney’s central business district. The City of Sydney, the event’s organisers, were alerted to the potential contamination earlier this week, with subsequent tests by EPA officers confirming the presence of bonded asbestos.
This incident is part of a broader issue, as the EPA has identified 22 locations throughout Sydney as being contaminated, affecting parks, construction sites, educational institutions, and transport hubs. Gil Beckwith, Mardi Gras chief executive, expressed profound disappointment over the cancellation but emphasised the importance of community safety above all.
Despite this setback, the festival will proceed with its other events, including the iconic Mardi Gras Parade and the Bondi Beach Party, ensuring community engagement and celebration opportunities remain. Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore described the cancellation as “incredibly disappointing” and called for stringent measures from the NSW government and the EPA to prevent future occurrences.
Asbestos has also been found in other city parks, including Belmore Park and Harmony Park, with efforts underway to swiftly remove the hazardous material. The City of Sydney plans to test an additional 32 parks for potential contamination from the same source. Public health warnings have been issued, urging residents to steer clear of mulched areas in the affected parks.
This development underscores the ongoing risk asbestos poses to public health, known to increase the likelihood of several cancers upon inhalation. The City of Sydney assures the public that playgrounds in the parks have not used the contaminated mulch in an effort to mitigate concern among families.
