Several weeks ago, two New South Wales families in Penrith – the O’Farrells and the Lancasters – raised the issue of asbestos contamination in Telstra’s pits to the government. The residents were not only concerned for their own health and safety, but for the safety of the young men working in the pits. According to one particular resident, “They were only young blokes wearing normal clothes – no protective fear – but they didn’t seem to be worried.”

Despite being alerted of this asbestos issue several weeks ago, the Australian government has only recently commenced the removal of asbestos from the pits, which are located just outside the front doors of homes and shops. Penrith mayor, Mark Davies, has conveyed his disappointment in Telstra’s delay in cleaning up the dangerous fibres. He stated that “I don’t think it was acceptable that we had this problem in the first place; I was disappointed every day it wasn’t cleared up.” The trained asbestos removalists must wear protective clothing and facemasks so as to meet the Occupational Health and Safety standards.

There is also confusion regarding the number of pits that contain asbestos in Australia. Although remedial work has commenced on eleven pits in Penrith, there are still a multitude of sites that are possibly contaminated with this toxic substance. Australian workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has stated that Telstra provided him with an estimate of the number of pits that contain asbestos. On 3 June 2013, Shorten announced that “There are eight million pits … between 10 and 20 percent of these pits may have asbestos-containing material in them.”

In response to this, Nicole McKechnie, Telstra spokeswoman, has submitted that Telstra could not possibly have provided these statistics to Mr Shorten. Telstra has only recently started recording the dates in which pits are put in; as such, it would be impossible to identify which pits contain asbestos, as the substance was banned from use in Australia in the early 1980s. However following the intervention from Mr Shorten’s office, McKechnie has since changed her position, and has admitted that “a very rough guesstimate was given to the minister”.

To date, the exact number of pits that contain asbestos remains unknown.

In the past, many workers have been exposed to asbestos in Australia whilst undertaking work in the Tesltra pits. Many old Telecom workers have been diagnosed with asbestos conditions in Australia.

Fibro sheeting fragments, which are suspected to contain asbestos particles, were found on the eastern side of Kosciusko Road of Jindabyne Shared Trail, near the pines.

Once the contamination was identified, this local New South Wales Council was immediately alerted, and the all visible fragments of the fibro sheeting were removed. The Council has temporarily closed off two hundred metres of the Jindabyne Shared Trail – the area from the council Pump Station Access Toad to the Jindabyne Dam wall. The walking trail will be closed off for an indefinite period of time. It is possible that it will be closed off for a period of up to two months. Members of the public are being encouraged to stay away from this closed section of the walking trail for their own safety.

In the meantime, further tests are being conducted to assess the extent of the contamination. Over the coming weeks, remedial work and the removal of asbestos by specialist contractors will also take place.

The Council will continue to work closely with members of the community to ensure that they are aware of the dangers of asbestos, and remain informed of the situation.

Asbestos exposure is all too common in Australia. Asbestos was widely used, and it just shows, even in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains, Australians need to be careful about being exposed to asbestos. Asbestos conditions in Australia have been many in the past. It is hoped asbestos in Australia is reduced, thus hopefully reducing new cases of mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia.

Recently, asbestos was found in the old boiler room of Timboon P-12 school in Victoria. Lead paint flakes have also been found on window sills around the same school. Approximately five hundred students have not attended school this week as a result of fear of exposure to asbestos. Emergency classes are currently being held at a nearby hospital and community hall.

The local MP, Terry Mulder, has addressed this issue by releasing a public statement two days after the discovery of the asbestos. The brief one page statement reveals that the local MP was aware of the work needed regarding the state of the school. Mulder has asserted that he will continue to work with the Education minister, Martin Dixon, to address the needs of the school and of the community.

Mulder has attempted to alleviate the concerns of locals by stating that a departmental representative has conferred with the school principle. Together, they have discussed the buildings that need to be constructed or amended to meet the school’s educational and safety standards. These discussions will help inform future funding requirements for the school.

Tomorrow night a public meeting will be held in the town’s public hall for the purposes of giving the parents of the school an update on the current situation. Mulden states that “It is unlikely that at that stage we will have a timetable for remediation works completed… This meeting is being called to share information about the current situation and to address school community concerns with regard to the closures.”

Apparently, a separate meeting will be held at the beginning of next term to address the rebuilding of the school. Acting school president Matt Bowker is confident that the school will have access to all classrooms by the beginning of next term.

Students and their families are being assured that they have not been exposed to the asbestos particles. Once inhaled, asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer or other asbestos-related diseases. Unfortunately, mesothelioma in Victoria and asbestosis in Victoria have resulted in many tragic cases. Preventable asbestos exposure is most important.

The push against illegal asbestos disposal in New South Wales has heightened following a rise in illegal dumping of asbestos in communities throughout Sydney. On 29 May 2013, NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker proposed the introduction of a new law which could see illegal dumpers sentenced to jail for a maximum of 2 years.

Whilst stricter penalties can be expected to protect communities from exposure to asbestos, Brian Seidler, Executive Director of the Master Builders Australia, argues that deterrence from illegal dumping will only be achieved by reducing the cost of legal asbestos disposal. Currently in New South Wales, the charge on legal asbestos disposal is $395 per tonne, being quadruple the price of regular waste disposal. On the other hand, Val Southam, CEO of Waste Management Association of Australia, has put forward that these costs are necessary for the proper disposal of asbestos.

In response to this, a new scheme planned by the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Association (HACA) providing rebates for disposal of household quantities of asbestos, pointing towards a solution.

Asbestos is a carcinogenic material that has been commonly used in building materials. Exposure to asbestos fibres can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other types of cancer. With these proposals at hand, there is optimism for the protection of communities against exposure to asbestos. Many Australians have been diagnosed with asbestos conditions in the past, such as mesothelioma in Australia, asbestosis in Australia, and asbestos related pleural disease in Australia. Hopefully, the incidence of asbestos related conditions in Australia will decrease in the future if further preventative measures are taken.