ELDER CALLS FOR ASBESTOS CLEANUP

Panjima elder Maitland Parker and family.

A Panjima Elder and former chairman has renewed calls for the State Government to clean up the deadly blue asbestos contaminating his country.

Maitland Parker said two old asbestos mines have contaminated the whole of Nambiguna, Wittenoom Gorge, and the roadway from Wittenoom to Point Samson.

Mr Parker said his own people as well as tourists continued to access the contaminated gorge.

He said people ran the risk of catching asbestos-related diseases every time they visited the contaminated country, and Aboriginal people born after the mines closed had already died from them.

Mr Parker’s comments came after the WA Government announced plans to buy the remaining 14 private properties in Wittenoom, demolish the buildings and decontaminate the town.