The demolitions of 16 Fluffy asbestos-contaminated homes in Kambah remain on hold while the the government awaits the findings of two separate investigations into allegations of theft from properties being demolished by the contractor, Caylamax.
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The Asbestos Taskforce expects a result this week from the internal investigation ordered after the alleged theft was reported by The Canberra Times. Police expect to finish their investigation in early June.
The Brisbane firm has been contracted to demolish 48 homes, including in the city's worst affected suburb of Kambah, and while the government has not halted its demolitions, it has stopped Caylamax from removing any furniture, fixtures and fittings until the investigations are complete.
The order has forced Caylamax to stop work, unable to demolish the remainder of its houses until fixtures and fittings have been removed.
The move follows revelations almost three weeks ago that a wall cabinet apparently from a Fluffy home in 18 Dinnison Circuit, Kambah, had been removed from the home and taken to a shipping container in Caylamax's Griffith yard, where other items were also discovered. Demolition firms are supposed to dispose of all contents in the Belconnen asbestos tip.
The cabinet was discovered after a whistleblower worker went to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union for help.
It was linked to 18 Dinnison Circuit, when the home's former owner, Eden O'Mara, recognised it from a published photograph.
ACT Police launched an investigation and the government launched its own, separate investigation.
Taskforce head Andrew Kefford said the 16 remaining Caylamax homes had been fenced and the company had control and responsibility for the sites, including overseeing security and maintenance.
Meantime, the shipping container and its contents remained in Caylamax's Griffith yard.
The taskforce marks all fixtures and fittings and furniture with red paint to ensure it isn't reused, but the whistleblower said workers were simply using turpentine to clean off the red crosses. The cabinet showed traces of red paint.
Mr Kefford said the taskforce was looking to put "further obstacles in the way of reuse", such as dismantling hard furniture and leaving it inside the house for demolition. "We're taking the opportunity now, in light of this allegation, to re-look at the processes between us taking possession of a house and the house actually being demolished. What else can be done to prevent goods being reuse contrary to our contractual directions?"
The taskforce was looking for "the sweet spot" between safety and efficiency, he said.
"Say someone left behind the dining table. At the moment it could be removed and taken away to be disposed of. What we're contemplating here would be to treat the dining table as if it were the kitchen bench, so it would be sprayed with the paint, disassembled and stacked with kitchen sink and everything else ... That way you haven't got whole pieces of furniture ever leaving the house."
Mr Kefford said no further allegations had come forward.
"An allegation has been made of something that is contrary to our specific direction. We took it seriously when we heard it and we are taking action to prevent any further instances of that allegation taking place, if indeed it were true in the first place," he said.
