Authorities continue to grapple with an asbestos mulch contamination crisis. 

Asbestos contamination has been detected in mulch used across several Sydney parks, igniting a dispute between the City of Sydney's lord mayor, Clover Moore, the NSW Government and the state’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA). 

Asbestos has been found in more than a dozen City of Sydney parks and over 60 sites across greater Sydney, sparking debate over regulatory oversight and public safety.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has slammed the NSW government and the EPA for the “massive” and “costly” regulatory failure. 

The crisis has already cost the council over $200,000 for testing, but the price of remediation is expected to be much more. 

The Lord Mayor said the mulch issues would have a financial and recreational impact on residents due to the fenced-off contaminated areas.

At an extraordinary general meeting, Carolyn Walsh, chair of the state government’s asbestos taskforce, revealed that the EPA had traced over 90 per cent of the contaminated mulch back to a single resource recovery company. 

However, a portion remains untraceable, raising concerns among households about potential exposure. The EPA is also investigating a second supplier linked to the asbestos-contaminated mulch.

The contamination was reportedly first identified when a child brought home a piece of contaminated mulch from Rozelle parklands, exposing a wider issue that remained undetected until January. 

The City of Sydney began testing for asbestos in its parks following notification from the EPA about the possible contamination from its suppliers.

In response to the growing outcry, the EPA's chief executive, Tony Chappel, has assured the public of a “zero tolerance for asbestos” policy, and confirmed a major criminal investigation is underway to determine the source of the contamination. 

Meanwhile, other authorities say no further asbestos has been detected in Queensland's mulch supplies, indicating a low risk of contamination in the region, although investigations continue.

WorkSafe ACT is also conducting tests on mulch samples in the ACT, with a mix of positive and negative results so far.

Additionally, the crisis has prompted calls for the release of a report by the state's chief scientist on asbestos in recycled products and has led to legal actions by the Inner West Council against contractors for failing to meet clean-up deadlines.