By 1News Reporters
Tuesday 5:37pm

More asbestos has been discovered in the Auckland War Memorial Museum,
closing the landmark building until further notice and forcing staff to work remotely.

In a statement issued on Friday, a spokesperson said the building was closed for the weekend after asbestos dust was located in the old museum building
and Grand Foyer.

However, in an updated statement today, it was announced that asbestos was discovered in "additional areas of the building".

"As a precaution, we are temporarily expanding the closed areas of the Museum while we work to establish the full extent of the affected spaces and prepare for cleaning and removal."

Museum staff would work remotely while essential facilities and security
staff would continue to monitor the building.

"As we are working through assessment and cleaning preparations, we are not
yet in a position to confirm a reopening date."

The neoclassical building in the Auckland Domain, constructed in the 1920s
and '50s, was one of the country's busiest sites. There were 889,808 visitors to the museum the 2023/23 year despite several closures due to weather events.

Asbestos was first detected at the museum in December last year on the roof
in a space which is not publicly accessible.

In March, more asbestos was discovered during investigative work in the original 1929 part of the building in preparation for the renewal of Te Marae Atea Maori Court and the Pacific galleries.

Static asbestos dust and debris was located in the void area above Te Marae Atea Maori Court and on a ledge below perimeter vents.

The area was closed on April 14 to allow for specialists to conduct further investigations in preparation for the removal.

Positive results were returned at the Pacific Lifeways and Pacific
Masterpieces galleries earlier this month, with staff advised to close the galleries last Wednesday.

On May 9, subsequent testing returned more positive results in the Grand
Foyer, necessitating the closure of the space.

"Closing the Grand Foyer impacts our ability to safely evacuate large groups
of visitors from the building in an emergency, which is why the Museum was closed to the public from 10 May until further notice while we consulted with
a fire engineer on a reviewed fire evacuation procedure," a museum
spokesperson said.

Further tests were carried out in areas outside of the initial 1929 building, including some back-of-house areas.

The advised the closure of the full museum today after preliminary results received today.

Staff were immediately informed and asked to work remotely until further
notice "while we gather further information about the overall risk".

The museum was taking a "precautionary approach" under specialist guidance by closing the building to all staff and visitors, other than essential
facilities and security teams.

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals that are often found in older buildings.

Exposure poses serious health risks, including several serious lung diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

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