Asbestos risk low but Spa stays shut

A sign outside Ngawha Spa. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Far North hot pool complex remains in limbo after an expert report confirmed widespread presence of asbestos - but also called for more testing before any decision about its future is made.

Meanwhile, the Northland District Health Board has found the risk to members of the public who have used the pools at Ngawha Spa is "very low" with levels of asbestos "well below workplace regulatory levels".

The pools, at Ngawha Springs, near Kaikohe, were closed last month by new owner Top Energy, which bought the land as part of its plans to expand the nearby geothermal power station. When a contractor found asbestos throughout the complex a tenant and campers were told to leave, fences were erected by workers in protective suits, and a security guard was posted at the gate.

An expert report has now confirmed the presence of asbestos in all but one of the seven buildings on site.

All six soil samples tested positive for asbestos but only one - taken near a tool shed at the rear of the complex and not accessible to the public - was heavily contaminated.

Most of the asbestos found was of the least hazardous white variety. Some brown asbestos was found and the only blue, the most hazardous type, was in the tool shed. The report, by Jacobs New Zealand, said further testing was needed to determine the ground area contaminated by asbestos, to find out if soil had to be de-contaminated, and to identify all asbestos-containing material.

It recommended the removal of degraded asbestos by a registered contractor. Some asbestos-containing material was in relatively good condition and could be removed or sealed in resin-type paint.

Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw said the findings endorsed the company's decision to clear and secure the site as soon as it was advised that asbestos was more widespread than previously thought. The company was still considering options for the spa's future and would not make any decisions until more testing was completed - expected to take at least a month.

Northland Medical Officer of Health Clair Mills said no level of asbestos exposure was absolutely safe, but the risk to people who had visited the pools was "very low" and well below workplace regulatory levels. Anyone who did have concerns could call (09) 430 4100 and ask for the on-call health protection officer.

Dr Mills said asbestos-containing building materials were widely used from the 1940s to the 1980s and were not generally a health risk while in good condition. However, uncontrolled removal or repair could cause the release of hazardous fibres. They could also be released when asbestos-containing material deteriorated. It was a reminder to be cautious when renovating houses built before 1980 because asbestos was likely to be present in cladding, roofing, flooring, insulation and lagging.

The report partly confirms the view of former Ngawha Spa resident Alan Price, who said the only asbestos worth worrying about was in the changing room roof and a tool shed wall.

The nearby Waiariki Hot Springs, which are operated by the Parahirahi C1 Trust, remain open.