Families forced to flee in fear of asbestos risk The O'Farrell family fear they have been exposed to asbestos / Pic: Nikki Short Source: The Daily Telegraph TWO Penrith families have been forced to evacuate their homes after being exposed to asbestos during the National Broadband Network rollout. Neighbours Matthew O'Farrell and Troy Lancaster and their families have spent the past 18 days in a hotel after their homes in Hornseywood Ave and Evan St were covered with asbestos dust. According to a report to Penrith Council, Telstra contracted communications construction company Service Stream to do remediation work on several pits in Penrith to ensure the area was NBN-ready - including five pits near where the families live. Mr O'Farrell told the Penrith Press he arrived home on May 8 to find workers - who were not wearing safety equipment - breaking up asbestos near his front yard. My life changed forever that day. My family and friends were exposed to asbestos. I became nervous, on edge and unsure of my family's future," he said. There was asbestos on the path, driveway, in my neighbour's yard and on my shoes. The subcontractor responsible was suspended after the incident was reported to WorkCover. It is believed the subcontractor had worked on 20 other sites in the Penrith region. A report from an independent hygienist confirmed three of the pits tested positive for asbestos. They lied and back-pedalled on every occasion. You think: 'Is it in my wife's lungs, my children's lungs and my baby's lungs?' A Telstra spokesman said the company would clean up the site, despite three weeks passing since the contamination. Who will remediate our children's lungs? Will this cut their lives short and by how much? Service Stream did not return our calls.