Redland City Council has requested Seqwater do additional soil testing around Leslie Harrison Dam to ensure community safety in the wake of recent asbestos contamination in the area.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams wrote to the State Government bulk water supplier after a Seqwater investigation found asbestos contaminated soil at the dam. The Seqwater investigation began after trees were removed from around the dam and a dirt bike track was built using soil where the asbestos was found.

“My focus is one hundred per cent on community safety and I want to ensure this asbestos contamination is an isolated incident and that there is no other asbestos around that dam,” she said.

“Once they discovered the asbestos contamination on Friday, Seqwater has moved quickly to clean up the site and take the necessary precautions, but my understanding is that they are dealing with that one site.

“To provide the community with confidence that the area is completely safe, I have requested they do a series of tests around the rest of the dam.

“The community has contacted Council with concerns that the asbestos may have been there already and was just uncovered when the bike track was built. Seqwater has said this isn’t the case and that the dirt was brought to the site and I think the only way to know for sure is to test other sites around the dam.”

Redland City Division 9 Councillor Paul Gleeson has supported the call for more testing and also wants Seqwater to attend a community meeting to provide more information to residents.

“I’ve been contacted by residents with questions, but as the dam is under the management and ownership of the State Government’s Seqwater, I have not been able to answer all the questions,” he said.

“I have asked Seqwater representatives to attend a community meeting on Sunday 20 November to answer questions from the community to ensure everyone is informed and safety remains the number one priority. Meeting details can be found on my Facebook page.”