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Magic-Sand Closures: Council Shuts Waipawa, Waipukurau Libraries
Hundreds of schools and daycare centres closed across Australia and New Zealand as authorities remove chrysotile asbestos-contaminated play sand imported from China, with low detected risk so far.
- Across Australia and New Zealand, schools and childcare centres closed when asbestos contamination was found in tubs of children’s play sand imported from China, with more than 70 Australian schools and forty New Zealand centres shuttered on Monday.
- WorkSafe New Zealand said batches tested positive for chrysotile asbestos and noted the sand, allegedly imported from China, is used in classroom activities and flagged specific recalled items and batch numbers.
- Australia’s product safety watchdog said tests so far have not detected breathable fibres, adding respirable asbestos fibres are unlikely unless mechanical processing like crushing occurs, while studies link long-term chrysotile asbestos exposure to lung cancer.
- Hundreds of schools scrambled to check and remove affected sand, and Tararua District Council advised sealing and labelling contaminated sand while requiring registered asbestos removalists.
- China’s foreign ministry said Beijing had 'noted the relevant reports', health authorities urged parents to contact Healthline and warned against vacuuming contaminated sand.
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SA Calls for National Inquiry Into the Importing of Asbestos Sand From China
South Australia’s Education Minister Blair Boyer has called for an “urgent” national inquiry into how asbestos-contaminated coloured sand was allowed into the country, after the recall triggered widespread school shutdowns and costly emergency clean-ups. In a letter to the federal government, seen by The Epoch Times, Boyer said the recalled products had caused major disruption across childcare, preschool, and school sectors. He warned that the f…
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left4Leaning Right4Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution34% Left, 33% Center, 33% Right
Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
34% Left
L 34%
C 33%
R 33%
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