Rottnest Island asbestos risk confirmed

The sites on Rottnest Island where high risk and easily disturbed asbestos was found will soon be remediated, the WA government says.

A general view of Rottnest Island.

Asbestos has been discovered on Rottnest Island in Western Australia. (AAP)

Easily disturbed asbestos poses a high risk on the West Australian holiday destination Rottnest Island, the state government says.

The blue material was reported by a visitor on Monday after he discovered it behind units in the main settlement near the visitor centre.

The area was temporarily closed off and cleaned as a precaution, and all of the material was removed from the island and sent for testing.

In parliament on Thursday, Liberal MP Alyssa Hayden confirmed there was high-risk asbestos on the island that had been identified as easily disturbed.

She said the sites would be remediated by Friday.

Ms Hayden said the Rottnest Island Authority conducted annual external audits to update its asbestos risk register, with the most recent inspection done in August last year.

"The Rottnest Island Authority has a continual process of asbestos risk reduction that has substantially reduced the asbestos risk since the first report was compiled in 2002," she said.

About 25,000sqm of asbestos roofing on Rottnest Island was replaced with Colorbond between 2005 and 2006.


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