No risk of asbestos dust in roof demolition, DCC says

The Dunedin City Council says all necessary safety precautions are being taken as work continues on the removal of an asbestos-laced roof from a 19th-century building in Port Chalmers.

The reassurance came after a member of the public, Graeme Wall, contacted the Otago Daily Times to raise concerns about a "dust cloud" coming from the work site at the former Sims Engineering building.

Contractors from Cere Environmental NZ were part-way through a two-month project to remove the building’s asbestos roof, at a cost of about $215,000, but Mr Wall worried they were kicking up an asbestos-laced dust cloud as they worked.

On Wednesday, he saw what appeared to be ‘‘clouds of dust coming out’’ from holes in the roof they were removing.

"From where I was looking, you could see it coming up 20 feet or so ... and quite a big cloud. Not just like a wee backfire of an exhaust."

However, council recreation planning and facilities manager Jendi Paterson said no shortcuts were being taken, and the "dust" was actually mist from the use of an epoxy sealant spray.

The spray was being used to safely seal the asbestos materials before they were removed from the building, she said.

The contractor was also using two air meters which would trigger alarms if asbestos became airborne, she said.

"The contractors that are doing this, this is their bread and butter.

"They specialise in this type of work."

However, the future of the building still remained under a cloud. There was no firm plan yet for what would come after the roof was removed.

Mr Wall, at a meeting of the West Harbour Community Board  this week, called on the board to take a greater interest in the building’s fate.

The building, parts of which were believed to date back to the late 1800s, was leased by the council to the Port Chalmers Yacht Club until the discovery of asbestos last year.

Mr Wall was a yacht club member and among those whose boats were locked up while the council worked to have them cleaned and released after the asbestos scare.

Yesterday, Mr Wall said the building’s history and impressive brick architecture meant it was an important link to Port Chalmers’ maritime past.

The building could have a future as the home for an artisan, co-operative or some other public use, he said.

The council should ensure the building’s survival, just as it had when the former Sammy’s  music  venue was threatened, he said.

Community board chairman Steve Walker said the board had voted to seek an update on the building’s future at its next meeting.

Ms Paterson said all options remained on the table, and  a report outlining them, and  associated costs, would be ready before the end of the year.

The council would be "engaging" with the board and other interested parties, including Heritage New Zealand, as part of that process, although what form that would take was not yet known, she said.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz