Demolition of the ghost town Wittenoom has begun, with the West Australian government warning trespassers found at the former asbestos mining site could be prosecuted.
The former mining town has been deserted since mid-last year, when the long-awaited Wittenoom Closure Bill passed WA Parliament and the town's remaining residents were evicted soon after.
It had been officially taken off the map in 2007 to deter would-be visitors from seeking it out.
The Pilbara town was the site of large-scale asbestos mining from the 1930s to 1966, which led to the deaths of thousands of workers and residents due to the cancer mesothelioma and other deadly diseases.
A Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage spokesperson confirmed all roads to the former town site and nearby gorge have been permanently closed to undertake the demolition.
"Warning signs have been installed around the active worksite," the spokesperson said.
"There is no visitor access to the area and trespassers may be subject to prosecution."
The spokesperson said all demolition material would be buried on site.
Lands Minister John Carey has previously said the government closed the town to stop "idiotic" visitors to the area, who are often attracted by the local picturesque landscape.
Clean-up still undecided
The area around Wittenoom is still home to millions of tonnes of asbestos tailings, a legacy from the historic mining industry.
The government recognises it as the largest contaminated site in the southern hemisphere, but as yet has not committed to cleaning it up.
Former Wittenoom resident and retired WA Greens MP Robin Chapple said he was happy to see the town removed, but called on the government to commit to removing the remaining asbestos.
"You just can't go around leaving contaminated sites saying, 'it's all too hard'," he said.
"The government and the mining industry which allowed this to be developed, and actually poured money into the development, has a responsibility to clean up."
Mr Chapple, who worked in the mining industry before his time in state parliament, said the government should bury the asbestos tailings in the old mine shafts and seal them shut.
He said authorities needed to make a decision either way regarding a potential clean-up.
"I think they're just drawing it out. If they don't want to clean it up, then they need to say so," he said.
Mr Chapple said he felt visitors would continue to visit the area via unofficial back roads, even if the town is gone and the roads are blocked.
"If you keep on covering something up long enough, everybody will want to go and see it," he said.
"You've actually got to fix the fundamental problem."
The government spokesperson said the size of the contaminated area meant remediation was unlikely to be technically feasible.
Late last year, an uncontrolled bushfire destroyed multiple buildings in Wittenoom after the town had been vacated.
