Hastings railway station fire: Carters set to 'get rid' of nearly $1m worth of timber due to possible 'asbestos contamination'

The Hastings Railway Station was gutted by a fire in the early hours of September 21. Photo / Ian Cooper

A Hastings buildings supplies company is set to destroy nearly $1 million of timber sitting on its site, due to potential asbestos contamination from the Hastings Railway Station fire.

Carters on Sir James Wattie Pl has been partially closed for the past month due to ongoing risk of contamination from the fire in the early hours of September 21.

A notice on the company's website advised people about the re-opening of the showroom and bulk store on October 3, following advice it was safe to trade from those specific areas.

The yard area however remains closed.

The car park is available to enter from Holt Place as Sir James Wattie Pl is closed.

The street was closed for approximately 300m due to potential health risk related to asbestos. Photo / Warren Buckland.

Hawke's Bay Today understands that the company, which is insured, has to dispose of timber with a value of between $700,000 and $900,000 due to potential asbestos contamination.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the company was in the process of "getting rid" of all the stock stored outside in the yard area at the Hastings premises, including all the timber.

The discarding of the timber would begin soon, with the railway station now demolished.

The store was expecting to be fully open again in five to six weeks, the source said.

Carters' national marketing manager Hayley Reid declined to comment on the situation.

The possibility of asbestos contamination was reassessed by Hastings District Council after workers aired concerns about the presence of asbestos fibres on the road and in the air.

On September 30, Hastings District Council health and safety manager Jennie Kuzman said the council did not have any active involvement with the clean-up process and was "not aware of any asbestos related concerns in relation to adjacent council assets".

However they sent out a contractor to reassess the possibility of asbestos contamination in the area adjacent to Carters.

Police enquiries into the fire are ongoing. To date no arrests have been made.

Hastings railway station demolition area cordoned off due to the removal of asbestos. Photo / Warren Buckland

The railway station was demolished recently and its future is still up in the area.

A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said "while the council would like to influence good urban planning outcomes, as it is a significant site in Hastings city, ultimately any decision regarding its future is currently in KiwiRail's hands."

KiwiRail group general manager property Stephanie Campbell said KiwiRail had not made a decision on the future development of the station site.

"Any development will consider an appropriate use of the site that would also benefit the local community.

"In the short term KiwiRail will finish tidying and fencing the site."