The ACT Labor-Greens Government has finally headed the calls of the Canberra Liberals and revealed the names of the 76 government schools that contain hazardous materials.

Shadow Education Minister Jeremy Hanson said it was alarming how widespread this issue is, with schools in every geographical area of Canberra affected.

“This has been an ongoing issue with parents wondering if the schools their children are attending contain asbestos or lead dust,” Mr Hanson said.

“While I welcome the Education Minister has finally released the names of affected schools, I am not sure why it has taken so long to get to this point.

“Since the beginning the Canberra Liberals have called on the government to explain to parents in simple terms which schools are affected, what the problems are and how they will be fixed.

“The government now needs to explain to staff and parents of each affected school how hazardous materials are being managed and rendered safe.

“I also find it concerning that many schools were found to contain hazardous materials, by chance, through general maintenance checks over the holidays. This only further proves that the government is not actively looking for these serious problems in our schools,” Mr Hanson concluded.