Source: Radio New Zealand
Some of the latest coloured sand products to be recalled over asbestos fears. (File photo) Supplied
It could cost one kindergarten operator hundreds of thousands of dollars to decontaminate its sites that tested positive for asbestos from coloured play sand, it says.
Whanau Manaaki got tests on 13 kindergartens where the play sand was used, and three in Wellington returned positive results.
It has meant significant clean up work.
Its chief executive, Amanda Coulston, told Checkpoint, the not-for-profit group had spent $40,000 on the tests so far.
“In those kindergartens, generally that means that all of the porous products such as the carpet, toys, soft toys, things like that would have to be removed and destroyed.
“And then we have to wait and they test again, and then we need to refurnish our kindergartens so the children can go back,” Coulston said.
“So all of that is, hugely disruptive.”
Coulston expected the final cost to be between $300,000 and $350,000, which is not covered by insurance.
“The Ministry [of Education], you know, has been pretty hands off in terms of all of this,” she said.
“And all we’ve been told to do is go to the suppliers and try to litigate to get reimbursement from them.”
Coulston said staff were angry and aggrieved that regulations were “obviously not strong enough” to stop the contamination in the first place.
“Schools and early childhood services are left to fend for themselves, so you have to chase your own money,” she said.
A Lower Hutt mother the day before on Checkpoint, said she was stressed and worried over whether she had done enough to keep her children safe, aged 3 and 10 months.
Keren Lee’s home also returned a positive result after she bought contaminated sand six months ago.
Some parents who bought the sand have told RNZ that Kmart should pay for the product and their homes to be tested.
Kmart, the main retailer which has sold 67,000 units, said on Tuesday its sand recall does not include a requirement for it to test, or pay for specialist cleaning in homes.
It said customers were eligible for a refund by presenting a photo of the product or proof of purchase.
The recalls underway
- Coloured Sand for Unity Ceremony, 200 gram bags, sold from October 2023 to November 2025 from Trade Me, Kogan, Dick Smith, Gems Wedding Supplies
- Coloured sand by Creative Sand, sold from September 2024 to November 2025
- MIKI Sand Art Set, sold nationwide from July 2023 to December 2023
- Rainbow Sand Art Toy, sold at the below retailers nationwide from June 2025 to November 2025
- Craft Sand, 380 grams, sold from April 2021 to November 2025
- Pop & Surprise Playset, sold at Kmart from January 2020 to November 2025
- 14 piece Sand Castle Building Set and Blue, Green and Pink Magic Sand, sold at Kmart at various times
- Educational Colours – Rainbow Sand and Creatistics – Coloured Sand – Various Colours, sold from January 2021 to October 2025
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
