Overview

• Hobsons Bay City Council has temporarily fenced part of the reserve after asbestos was found this week in the arboretum area.
• Saturday’s Newport Lakes Parkrun was cancelled after barriers cut the course around the 750‑metre mark, and organisers say they do not have permits ready for an alternative route.
• Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority has been notified, and the council is working with environmental consultants to assess and manage the site.
• Event director Tim Binstead said this is the first cancellation outside COVID in eight years and that organisers are hopeful the run could return next weekend following council discussions.
• The reserve sits on a former quarry and rubbish tip, and the discovery follows a broader pattern of asbestos fragments found in 19 Melbourne parks last year, including 14 in Hobsons Bay.