Old Bus Depot stallholders to be reimbursed for lost equipment

ACT Arts Minister Tara Cheyne told the territory's parliament on Wednesday morning that not all of the equipment stored in the former transport depot could be cleaned for safe use.

Lead dust particles were discovered across the building during $6.5 million renovations earlier this year.

It has meant the markets have been unable to open for more than a year, as the markets had to close during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Remediation works have been taking place at the building since April.

Ms Cheyne said stallholders were contacted last week about the process for the return or reimbursement of items. She said while the government preferred to reimburse all items, some stallholders may like their items returned.

"We acknowledge that, unfortunately, not all the stock and equipment that has been stored in the building can be cleaned for safe use," Ms Cheyne said.

"Stallholders and the market operators will be reimbursed by the ACT government for property that has to be disposed of.

"It may be the preference of stallholders for those bespoke items to be cleaned and restored, and we will attempt to do that where possible."

Ms Cheyne said the government was working with the market operator and stallholders to prepare an inventory of all privately owned property in the building and to determine what items could be cleaned.

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An exact reopening date for the markets has not been determined.

"It is difficult to provide an exact completion date for the cleaning and remediation, because the extent of the works in each area depends on test results returned after initial cleaning," Ms Cheyne said.

"However, current expectations are for completion in around July this year. We will continue to update the community."

Twenty-eight construction workers undertook voluntary blood lead level testing.

Three workers were found to have a blood lead level that was higher than "background everyday exposure" but this did not indicate exposure to high levels of lead.

Ms Cheyne told the Assembly that no one working at the site tested for lead exposure levels above the level deemed safe.

After the lead dust discovery, work ceased on the renovations until air monitoring results were undertaken. A hygienist developed guidelines for workers returning to the site, and workers used appropriate personal protective equipment.

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