Radical asbestos plan for Aussie households

Households in NSW will have two years to have asbestos waste picked up and disposed of for free as part of a $16 million plan to tackle the deadly substance, which continues to kill thousands of Australians every year.

The centrepiece of that plan is a $9 million two-year trial household collection program beginning in 2027, that aims to limit illegal dumping and promote safer handling for families and workers.

“Over 4000 Australians die each year from historical exposure to asbestos so we must be vigilant about the risk of asbestos and take precautions when it is detected in the workplace or the home,” Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute chief executive Kim Brislane said.

“This suite of measures from the NSW government will help raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos, reduce current and future exposure, and crucially, prevent more people in NSW from developing asbestos-related diseases.”

Illegal asbestos dumping costs the community millions of dollars across NSW to clean up every year.

Correct disposal of the potentially deadly substance can be costly and difficult, leading to dumping, so the government hopes the trial will make it “easy and free” for households to make the right call.

“One in three houses built before 1990 contains asbestos – that’s why it’s important to make it cheaper and easier for NSW families to dispose of these materials,” Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said.

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“To avoid the looming waste crisis in NSW, we need to increase resource recovery and reduce barriers to safely disposing of problematic waste types, like asbestos.”

Other elements of the government’s asbestos plan of action include stronger controls and training on work sites, and strengthening the supply chain to prevent asbestos contamination.

“This set of reforms has been more than 20 years in the making,” Waste Contractors and Recyclers NSW executive director Brett Lemin said.

“WCRA welcomes a stronger, practical framework across the whole supply chain that will improve safety, provide greater certainty for industry and deliver better outcomes for the community.”

The plan can be viewed online here.