SOIL will be removed from the Helm Street Preschool this weekend after elevated levels of arsenic were found in the children’s play area.
The City of Greater Bendigo notified parents via mail last week that elevated levels had been found in six of the 12 areas soil tested late last year.
Two areas were above what is deemed to be the safe level of 100mg per kilogram of soil, with an area in the garden bed under a small hedge recording 990mg per kilogram.
An area under two small garden beds adjacent to the building  recorded 140mg/kg.
The levels were detected last year when the City of Greater Bendigo contracted Coffey Environment Services to soil test nine preschools across the city.
Each preschool within the municipality will be tested during the next five years.
Pre-schools also tested in recent months include the Strathdale Childcare Centre, Spring Gully, Huntly, Epsom, Kennington and Kangaroo Flat.
Five pre-schools were tested last financial year, with elevated levels found at two Eaglehawk kindergartens.
Of the eight sites tested at Neangar, four were above what is deemed to be the safe level of 100mg per kilogram of soil.
The levels at the four sites ranged from 310 to 720.
City of Greater Bendigo director of children’s services Rosalie Rogers said most centres tested this financial year had minor traces of arsenic, which occurs naturally in the soil.
However the Helm Street Pre-School required some
minor work.
“It’s not anything like what we experienced at Neangar,” she said.
“It was all well below the surface and somebody will be working on Friday night and over the weekend to ensure the work is done before kinder next week.
“It’s a very quick fix.”
At Neangaro, a landscape architect with a background in early childhood was called in to make recommendations  to be carried out as soon as possible by landscape contractors.
The City of Greater Bendigo is expecting quotes on the project in coming weeks and aims to have the works completed soon afterwards.
According to the state’s peak public health body, the Department of Human Services, mine tailings from gold mining often contain high levels of arsenic.
While most people have a minor chance of being affected, babies and young children are more likely to be affected than adults.