Industry and advocates warn a NSW government trial to offer renovators free asbestos pick up and disposal could encourage operators without the necessarry health training to remove the toxic substance.
Critics claim the initiative, announced last week as a means to remedy a rise in illegal asbestos dumping, still lacks critical details.
They also argue the government didn’t consult with the asbestos removal industry and initial documents don’t specify details like how much material will be picked up free of charge.
The program follows the 2024 discovery of widespread asbestos contamination in NSW public spaces.
The cancer-causing material was found in playgrounds, hospitals and schools, and prompted inquiries that identified critical gaps in NSW waste management.
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Workers in hazmat suits remove mulch contaminated with asbestos from Bicentennial Park in Glebe on February 29, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.
Mathew Klintfält is a member of the Asbestos Education Committee. He recently renovated his home and paid for costly professional asbestos removal but later found more buried in his backyard and mixed into 2.5 tonnes of concrete around his home.
“We spent north of $25,000 removing asbestos and that’s probably 5 per cent of the build cost,” Mr Klintfält said.
“Even the other day, my kid (said) ‘oh look a stone’ and I’m like ‘can you give me that?’ … and there’s other friends at the local school that are like ‘I’m finding so much (asbestos) in the garden’.
“If it’s not in your home, it’s in your neighbours,” he said.
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Klinfalt family affected by asbestos caused cancer. Picture: Asbestos Awareness. NSW real estate
Fragments of asbestos on the corner of two streets, found left out on the open.
Asbestos was favoured for being a fireproof material and was commonly used for plumbing, building walls, roofing, insulation and even products like hair dryers.
One in three homes built before 1990 still contain the carcinogen, which was banned in 2003 after the health concerns became clear.
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Places asbestos can hide in the home. Picture: Asbestos Awareness.
Mr Klintfält said he welcomes the trial but that there’s not enough detail yet on how the program will work and it’s only “one part of the pathway”.
“(The free trial is) not fixing the whole problem but at least it means (asbestos) doesn’t go in your red bin or a skip bin and then get those sites contaminated,” he said.
“At least this way it can be picked up, but how does it get into a plastic bag in the first place is also very, very important and that’s where the whole messaging around the program needs to be correct.
“This doesn’t mean it’s safe … I don’t know how it’s going to be rolled out.
“I wouldn’t expect $25,000 worth of asbestos to be picked up for free,” he said.
Klinfalt family affected by asbestos caused cancer. Picture: Asbestos Awareness. NSW real estate
Safe asbestos practices are close to Mr Klintfält’s heart because his mum Carol Klintfält OAM died from an asbestos caused cancer called mesothelioma in 2014.
“She’d been diagnosed with pneumonia twice in the same 12 months … and the (mesothelioma) diagnosis came through (eight months) after a biopsy,” Mr Klintfält said.
“There was very little understanding of what mesothelioma was, let alone how to spell it.
“The prognosis was really dire,” he said.
Ms Klintfält was initially given six months to live and offered a range of invasive surgical treatments but opted to preserve her quality of life.
“I think the first year was definitely a lot of commiseration, lots of wallowing among the family,” Mr Klintfält said.
“When mum made it through that six to 12 months, she got on with it and sort of harnessed the anger and put it to good use (by advocating),” he said.
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Bret Baker the president of the Asbestos & Hazmat Removal Contractors Association (NSW) pictured outside a asbestos contaminated house. Picture: Asbestos Awareness.
Bret Baker, president of the Asbestos & Hazmat Removal Contractors Association (NSW), raised similar concerns, saying there’s limited detail and no emphasis on training.
“Making lawful disposal more accessible has the potential to improve compliance and reduce environmental harm,” Mr Baker said.
“There is a genuine risk that members of the public may interpret the announcement as encouragement to remove asbestos themselves.
“Any asbestos strategy must place equal emphasis on preventing exposure during identification and removal.
“The announcement does not explain whether there will be quantity limits, what types of asbestos will be accepted, packaging requirements, eligibility criteria or how the collection process will operate.
“Without these details, there is considerable uncertainty for both the public and industry,” he said.
Illegally dumped building waste containing asbestos in the Georges River Council area.
Mr Klintfält said too many people adopted a “she’ll be right mate” attitude and while the program is a good start, there needs to be more funding for safety campaigns.
“There’s still far too many people that don’t take it seriously, you know, and it doesn’t need to be prolonged exposure, it can be a few instances,” Mr Klintfält said.
“For the young chippies and tradies like, it doesn’t happen tomorrow … so that massive delay in the formation of the disease is I think where it’s also critical.
“From my perspective, I think campaigning is key because it’s preventable, we don’t need 4000 people dying from mesothelioma like mum … It’s fully man-made,” he said.
He believes asbestos should be registered in building and pest reports and funding needs to be directed towards education campaigns for DIY-ers on social media, shows like The Block, or in hardware stores.
“People spend heaps of time on social media looking up bathroom ideas, and then you get that information coming through ‘hey, be careful of asbestos’,” he said.
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Asbestos contaminated mulch at a site linked to the major 2024 Sydney outbreak. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman.
Mr Baker said in his opinion, the government’s announcement appeared to be reactive to the 2024 mulch incident and doesn’t address the “underlying cost drivers” that contributed to the problem.
“That incident also raised serious concerns regarding asbestos work being undertaken by persons outside the licensed asbestos removal industry,” Mr Baker said.
“Rather than learning from those shortcomings by involving the licensed removal sector in developing reforms, the government has again proceeded without consulting the industry’s peak representative body.
“Another matter that warrants discussion is the cost of asbestos disposal.
“The government has announced free household collection as a solution to reduce illegal dumping, yet asbestos disposal costs have increased over many years due, in part, to the NSW EPA waste levy applied to non-recyclable waste,” he said.
Mr Baker encouraged the government to consult with the licensed asbestos removal industry to develop “evidence-based asbestos policy” to improve environmental outcomes and public and worker safety.
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