The asbestos assessor investigating contamination at the Ainslie shops has recommended the long-term demolition two of the heritage buildings at the popular shopping centre - the corner building housing Edgar's Inn and the one next door.
Robsons has also pointed to the poor condition of the eaves and the deteriorating roofs on the buildings, saying high winds, severe thunderstorms or a fire could result in asbestos contamination of the street, footpath and park. At 3 and 5 Edgar Street, tarpaulins over the roofs created a risk even in a less-severe weather event that damaged the roof, and water damaged ceilings could allow contamination of the buildings below.
The dangerous "Mr Fluffy" loose-fill asbestos was installed in the second-level ceiling of the corner building, above Edgar's Inn almost 50 years ago. Investigations in February and March show it has now migrated into the ceiling of the neighbouring building, which houses a newsagency and laundromat on the ground floor and a therapeutic massage business on the first floor. A positive sample was also returned from the building next to that, which houses a bakery and takeaway.
Asbestos assessor Robsons has recommended the buildings at 1 Edgar St and 3 Edgar St should be cleaned as soon as possible and later demolished. Number 5 should be cleaned. While those are Robsons' recommendations, the firm says consideration could be given to demolishing the top half of 1 Edgar St, and whether it was possible to clean No 3.
The corner building, No 1, is owned by Jeff Darwin, who could not be reached for comment. The upstairs flat is unoccupied and has had a prohibition notice on it since 2014.
Numbers 3, 5 and 7 are owned by the Xyrakis family. Manuel Xyrakis does not accept that his building must be demolished, saying he had been told it could be cleaned, then inspected and tested each year. The building would be reassessed in 2020, he said.
"They're not saying I have to demolish by 2020," he said, insisting the building might be able to stay indefinitely.
There was no risk to the community, with the asbestos sealed in the ceiling, he said.
"Community health is the most important thing, we have to make sure people are safe, there's no two ways about that," Mr Xyrakis said. "But also we have to be a little bit sympathetic to the businesses as well.. we can't just shut their businesses down."
Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones said the ceiling spaces of Nos 3 and 5 had been sealed, preventing access to the roof cavity. In the short to medium term the businesses could stay open.
The asbestos would be cleaned from Nos 1, 3 and 5 within three to six months.
Mr Jones his "best guess" was that demolition of No 1 and No 3 would occur within three to five years, but once the buildings were cleaned the picture would be more clear. The owners must also consider whether No 3 could be demolished while leaving Nos 5 and 7 standing, given the three were connected. No 1 was separate and could be demolished separately.
"The overall advice from the asbestos assessor was that the presence of loose-fill asbestos provided a negligible risk to the occupants," he said.
The loose-fill asbestos was installed in the ceilings of 1022 homes, but only two commercial buildings have come to light - one, a childcare centre since vacated, and the other the Ainslie shops. The government is buying and demolishing all of the homes.
Robsons said loose asbestos was throughout the ceiling at 1 Edgar St. Bundles of amosite asbestos fibres had migrated through openings and cracks in the plasterboard ceiling of the first-floor flat, and into the wall cavities. No asbestos was found in the Edgar's bar below.
Six of 11 tests in the roof space at 3 Edgar Street were positive for asbestos, but no fibres had been found in the first-floor massage business.
At 5 Edgar Street, one of 11 ceiling samples was positive for amosite asbestos. None was found in the first-floor space.
No asbestos was found in the roof space of 7 Edgar Street.
Robsons said maintenance, trades and other personnel must not be allowed to access the roof or the ceiling space of 1, 3 and 5 Edgar Street. The vacant first-floor premises above Edgar's must also not be accessed under any circumstances, Robsons said. It stressed it had not tested the soil, nor done intrusive testing, so could not say whether there was asbestos in less-accessible areas.