Multiple recalls are in force for sand products feared to contain asbestos, including ones used in ACT’s schools and preschools. Photo: James Coleman.
Nearly 100 ACT schools and preschools are at least partially closed across Canberra today (17 November) as authorities continue to investigate potential asbestos contamination.
On Friday (14 November), the ACT Government closed multiple schools and preschools after it was alerted that asbestos was found in various play sand products.
At the time, Education Minister Yvette Berry said testing and remediation work by licensed asbestos contractors would continue over the weekend, with hopes that the closures could be lifted ahead of the coming week.
On Sunday evening (16 November), Ms Berry said that 69 schools would need to be completely closed on Monday after asbestos was detected in other products.
“Unfortunately, these sand products are even more widely used in our schools than the Officeworks products [that triggered closures last week],” she said.
“That means that while we would have been able to reopen many of the schools from Friday’s closures, we are now in a position that we need to close additional schools [on Monday]. Visual inspections are being conducted in every public school that might have the products.”
This means the following schools will be closed on Monday:
- Ainslie School
- Amaroo School
- Aranda Primary School
- Arawang Primary School
- Black Mountain School
- Bonython Primary School
- Calwell Primary School
- Chapman Primary School
- Charnwood-Dunlop School
- Campbell Primary School
- Caroline Chisholm School
- Charles Weston School
- Cranleigh School
- Curtin Primary School
- Duffy Primary School
- Evatt Primary School
- Evelyn Scott School
- Fadden Primary School
- Farrer Primary School
- Flexible Education
- Florey Primary School
- Forrest Primary School
- Franklin School
- Fraser Primary School
- Garran Primary School
- Gilmore Primary School
- Giralang Primary School
- Gold Creek School
- Gordon Primary School
- Gowrie Primary School
- Harrison School
- Hawker Primary School
- Hughes Primary School
- Isabella Plains Early Childhood School
- Jervis Bay School
- Kaleen Primary School
- Kingsford Smith School
- Latham Primary School
- Lyneham Primary School
- Lyons Early Childhood School
- Macgregor Primary School
- Macquarie Primary School
- Majura Primary School
- Malkara School
- Margaret Hendry School
- Maribyrnong Primary School
- Mawson Primary School
- Miles Franklin School
- Monash Primary School
- Mount Rogers Primary School
- Mount Stromlo High School
- Namadgi School
- Neville Bonner Primary School
- Ngunnawal Primary School
- North Ainslie Primary School
- O’Connor Cooperative School
- Palmerston Primary School
- Red Hill Primary School
- Richardson Primary School
- Southern Cross Early Childhood School
- Taylor Primary School
- Telopea Park School
- Theodore Primary School
- Throsby School
- Torrens Primary School
- Turner School
- University of Canberra High School Kaleen
- Wanniassa Hills Primary School
- Wanniassa School
- Weetangera Primary School
- Yarralumla Primary School.
The primary school closures include attached preschools.
The expanded closures follow Kmart and Target issuing a voluntary recall for another product, which may contain asbestos.
According to the recall on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website, this item is described as loose sand for children that was also sometimes sold as part of a sandcastle building set.
These products are understood to have been sold in-store, online and through Target’s app. Image: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission/Screenshot.
Dozens of ACT schools have used the products (including three in what the ACT Education Directorate’s website calls “isolated” stocks), while 20 schools do not have any craft sand, according to the ACT Government’s website.
On Monday, the following schools will be open:
- Alfred Deakin High School
- Aunty Agnes Shea High School
- Belconnen High School
- Birrigai Outdoor School
- Calwell High School
- Campbell High School
- Canberra College
- Canberra High School
- Charles Conder Primary School
- Dickson College
- Erindale College
- Gungahlin College
- Hawker College
- Lake Ginninderra Senior Secondary College
- Lake Tuggeranong College
- Lanyon High School
- Lyneham High School
- Melba Copland Secondary School
- Melrose High School
- Narrabundah College
- Narrabundah Early Childhood School (including Koori Pre)
- Shirley Smith High School
- Woden School.
Ms Berry said families were being notified by email of closures and the health risk is considered ‘low’.
“All of the air testing that our contractors have done across public schools so far has been negative for airborne asbestos,” she said.
Last week’s closures concerned products issued by supplier Educational Colours and sold between 2020 and 2025 under the names Kadink Sand (1.3 kg), Educational Colours – Rainbow Sand (1.3 kg) and Creatistics – Coloured Sand (1 kg).
Laboratory testing detected tremolite asbestos, a prohibited naturally occurring substance, in some samples.
On Friday, Education Directorate Deputy-General Angela Spence said the sand had been used in trays on desks, open plan areas, or outside in sensory areas.
Ms Berry also warned that remediation work and testing at Canberra’s schools could “take days” to be completed.
“Health officials yesterday confirmed that the risk is very low, and they do not recommend any clinical assessment for people in contact with these products.
“However, the ACT has strong work health and safety laws, and we are required to eliminate risk as much as reasonably practicable.
“For asbestos, that means isolating the space, testing and remediating – all required to be done by licensed asbestos contractors. If we suspect it could be asbestos, we must treat it as asbestos.”
Households worried about potentially contaminated sand should visit the WorkSafe website for advice on how to dispose of it.
The ACCC has also urged people not to put it into their general waste.
The government’s information hotline is set to re-open at 7 am on Monday, with the number 13 2281.
