Wittenoom closure nears

The Wittenoom Steering Committee is being re-established to finalise the closure of the town site.

Wittenoom is the infamous and now practically deserted town where blue asbestos was mined in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

A Department of Regional Development and Lands spokesman said the Department of Environment and Conservation had classified a 46,840ha area at Wittenoom, which incorporated the former mine areas, town-site, gorge and floodplain, as “contaminated — remediation required”. “This area is deemed by DEC/Department of Health in its current state to be ‘not suitable for any form of human occupation or land use and that access to the area should be prevented’,” he said.

“As most of this area is unallocated crown land and the Department of Regional Development and Lands has a statutory responsibility for its management, RDL is working with all relevant agencies to ensure this advice is adhered to.”

The purpose of the committee is not only to finalise the closure of the town site, but to explore options for limiting access, increasing awareness of the risks associated with Wittenoom and to develop strategies to manage the asbestos contamination.

The spokesman said a time frame for these objectives would be determined by the committee. A number of agencies will be involved in the committee, including the Shire of Ashburton.

The spokesman said ongoing community engagement and awareness within the Shire was essential.

“Involvement by the Shire of Ashburton is also very important to the success of any proposed government actions in the area,” he said.