Calls for Inquiry Into Chinese Asbestos Sand Imports After School Shutdowns
Udumbara
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South Australia’s Education Minister Blair Boyer has called for an “urgent” national inquiry into how asbestos-contaminated coloured sand was allowed into the country, after the recall triggered widespread school shutdowns and costly emergency clean-ups.
In a letter to the federal government, seen by The Epoch Times, Boyer said the recalled products had caused major disruption across childcare, preschool, and school sectors.
He warned that the financial impact on education systems was already significant.
“In South Australia, licensed removal and cleaning at a single school has been costed at $11,000. This will be replicated across thousands of sites nationally. That is funding diverted away from teaching and learning due to a failure in product and import regulation,” the letter, addressed to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Attorney-General Amanda Rishworth, and Education Minister Jason Clare, stated.
Boyer said the contamination raised broader safety questions, not just for schools but for Australian households.
“These products were sold through major retailers and are likely in the homes of hundreds of thousands of families. While the risk this time has been low, the fact remains that asbestos-contaminated children’s products were imported, distributed and sold in 2025,” he wrote.
Schools Shut Nationwide
More than 100 schools across Australia have been affected in the past three working days, with closures concentrated in the ACT, Tasmania, and South Australia.The ACT shut more than 70 public schools on Nov. 17 alone, prompting widespread assessments of sandpits, playgrounds, and early-learning centres.
The ACT Education Directorate said its response was driven by caution.
“In line with our regulatory obligations, and in the interest of the safety of our students, staff and community, we have decided to close some schools that have this product to allow for assessment, clean-up, and remediation to occur,” it said.
Outside the territory, Catholic schools in Tasmania and South Australia will close or partially close from Nov. 18 as authorities investigate whether the same contaminated sand products were used on their grounds.
Regulators Urge Caution
The issue came to notice when the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission issued the national recall on Nov. 12 after laboratory tests detected tremolite asbestos in several imported coloured sand products from China.ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe urged immediate removal from use.
“Keep it well out of children’s reach,” she said, advising households and schools to double-bag the sand in heavy-duty plastic and wear gloves and masks during handling.
Consumers have been instructed not to throw the sand into household waste but to contact local asbestos-handling facilities for safe disposal.
Health authorities say the risk from brief exposure is low, but warn that asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma when inhaled.
While illnesses typically develop after long periods of exposure, officials say strict caution is essential when dealing with any asbestos-contaminated material.
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