Laura Western’s son wakes up every morning with a nose bleed thanks to mould in his house
Laura Western’s two children have been waking up with nosebleeds and persistent coughs in public housing for four years.
His property in Balga is covered in mold spores and he reported that the fungus was first seen in his laundry in 2022.
“It just gets bigger and bigger,” he said.
“When we are sick, we just wheeze. Even when I walk, I feel short of breath. [the kids] to school… my son wakes up with a nosebleed. “He thinks it’s normal, but it’s not normal.”
Western and her children have been enduring the diseases that come with living on Balga land for the last four years.
In January, the ministry sent a letter saying the house was “habitable” while it tried to organize someone to clean up the mould.
But this is an assessment that Laura claims is completely wrong.
Western recently contacted the Department of Housing and Public Works regarding definitive evaluation and remediation of the mold.
However, there is a condition for the work done.
Western repeatedly asked the department for a place to stay while the mold work was being done, but received no response to his request.
Instead, he received legal notices forcing him to vacate the property while maintenance workers arrived.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works said it sent contractors to repair the mold multiple times over the past few months, but Western refused to let them in.
A department spokesman said the work they planned to do would be completed “within a day” and that it should be safe to re-enter the property the same evening.
“The Department advised Ms Western that she may choose to remain away from the property for a day to allow access and return once the works have been completed and the property has been made safe,” they said.
“In accordance with the requirements that the licensed contractor must meet for removal, the work area will be isolated and controlled to prevent contamination of other areas. [asbestos containing material].
“The Department also provided Ms Western with information about relevant Australian Occupational Health and Safety laws to address her concerns.
“If contractors cannot gain access to the property, works cannot be carried out.”
But Western said it continued to refuse entry until the request for alternative accommodation was met.
“This puts us at risk,” he said.
Western said the last time the department worked on the property, the back of his home was left open and accessible for days.
Western is a domestic violence survivor who cannot sleep even though she knows her perpetrator’s address and that an intruder can easily enter her home.
She said the presence of asbestos was particularly concerning for her two young children, who were already dealing with complex respiratory issues due to the continued presence of mold in the home.
Western believes that any interruption to asbestos or mold during work could further compromise damaged immune systems.
Mold experts told this masthead that the work required to get rid of mold will be “penetrating” and will require concentrated efforts to completely eradicate the infestation.
Two developers said Western’s situation is indicative of how the Ministry of Housing and Works is dealing with the mold problem in public housing.
“My personal belief is that if the state government and its departments assume responsibility and liability for mold problems in properties under their direct control (hospitals, residences, offices), then financial liabilities will be crippled,” one contractor said.
“[I’m] I’m afraid most people keep their heads below the line of fire – and so what you saw in Balga continues and nothing changes.
“[It] It sounds a little dramatic, but ultimately it’s very sad for those stuck in these situations.
“Companies contracting for housing on social housing are not all bad, but they need to follow WA’s advice.”
Correspondence from Western to the department requesting accommodation while the work was ongoing was seen in this tag, but no response was received.
Instead, on January 8 this year, a letter was sent to Western from the ministry claiming that “the property remains in habitable condition in the meantime”. The mother-of-two now faces eviction if she does not allow workers onto the property by mid-March to fix the mold problem.
But Western believes it should never have gone that far.
She said both of her children now have to use asthma inflators and have ongoing breathing problems.
He emphasized that it had been four years since he first reported mold to the department.
“I reported this in 2022… why did it take so long? Why didn’t you do it before we moved? It will affect our health in the long run,” he said.
