Local parent finds asbestos at popular playground in Spotswood, Melbourne

A council in Melbourne’s west has closed down a popular playground after a parent discovered asbestos and building materials in the facility’s mulch.

Hobson Bay City Council taped off the play area at the Donald McLean Reserve in Spotswood following the dangerous discovery and said a material hygienist was “immediately brought in to inspect the playground area” on Tuesday.

“Two pieces of material were found and sent for testing, with results on Wednesday confirming these were asbestos-containing material,” the council said in a statement.

The popular park was built in partnership with the West Gate Tunnel Project in April 2023.

Local father Jason Murphy said he made the alarming discovery on Monday while on a trip to the park with his two children.

“Imagine having an Easter egg hunt down there and your kid coming back with composite material. It is horrifying for any parent,” Mr Murphy told the Herald Sun.

“Given what they spent on the tunnel, the least they could do is spend a bit more on better mulch for kids of the west.

“Hopefully, the investigation leads to exposure of shonky operators and suppliers if they are using recycled materials and nothing like this happens again.”

The council said two types of mulch were used on the reserve, including a “recycled product around mature tree planting”, where the two pieces were found.

The council confirmed it was working with the EPA and the hygienists to inspect other sites where the mulch was used.