Camden Council in New South Wales demands support from greater powers

Camden Council in New South Wales has requested that higher bodies of government, such as the State or Federal government, play a greater role in the management and removal of asbestos. This NSW council encourages harsher penalties for people who refuse to comply with asbestos clean-up orders.

This call for help stems from the fact that two homeowners have refused to remove asbestos from their properties, despite being instructed to do so by the Council.

The Council has made progress with one particular Camden South property owner. Asbestos was found in the house after a fire. Once the Council was notified of the dangerous particles, a clean up order was issued, and the insurance company of the asbestos property paid to have the asbestos removed.

However it is more common for property owners to ignore the clean up orders. A house was burnt down last October at Catherine Field, and thereafter asbestos was discovered on the property. Lara Symkowiak, Mayor of Camden, states that the Council issued a clean up direction, however the owners have refused to take action. To this date, the toxic fibres have yet to be removed.

One possible method of addressing the asbestos issue is to have the Council remove it and recover the costs of the removal from the owner. According to Symkowiak, “The costs associated with the clean up of asbestos can be high and the responsibility for compliance should rest with the owner of the site.”

The Council is committed to protecting the health and safety of members of the public. They encourage the State or Federal government to enact legislation that would allow councils to clean-up asbestos and claim the costs as debt against the property.

Asbestos cases in Australia have affected many lives. Many Australians have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia. Such asbestos conditions in Australia need to be prevented in the future, and the eradication of asbestos in such circumstances as described above is one step on this long process.


Victoria accused of “grandstanding” in nationwide attempt to remove asbestos

Recently, concerns have been raised regarding exposure to asbestos following the discovery of asbestos in various schools across Australia, and in Telstra’s National Broadband Network pits.

In response to this, an Australian review of asbestos was conducted by ACTU assistant secretary, Geoff Fary. The review reveals that up to 40,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma and lung-cancer, as a result of exposure to these dangerous particles. This toll is higher than the number of Australian lives lost in the battlefield at Flanders, according to Federal Minister for Workplace Relations Bill Shorten. The review also strongly encourages the Federal government to draft a national strategic plan for asbestos management.

Following this review, the Australian government has proposed a national plan to remove the poisonous material from all public buildings by 2030. Victoria is currently the only state that is refusing to sign this national plan.

Victoria claims that the national plan is an “ineffective Labor policy”. Apparently Victoria has already undertaken its own measures to address this pressing issue. According to Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips, Victoria has a memorandum of understanding between the Victorian WorkCover Authority, the Environment Protection Authority, and the Victorian Department of Health. Kristy McSweeney, spokeswoman for the Victorian government, has stated that although Victoria encourages continual cross-jurisdictional discussion on the issue, the most effective way of managing asbestos would be to address it on a state level.

Bill Shorten has accused Victoria of “grandstanding” and encourages Victoria to join in the nationwide attempt to “rid Australia of the fatal fibre”.

Mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia is a major problem. Treatment of mesothelioma in Australia has made some inroads in the past few years, but many people in Australia are still passing away as a result of this condition. It is hoped asbestos in Australia can be removed to prevent asbestos conditions in Australia becoming an increasing problem.


Asbestos compensation in Australia peak for James Hardie

James Hardie, the company responsible for the production of many asbestos cement building products in Australia, has seen an unexpected increase in asbestos compensation claims in Australia over the past year. Exposure to asbestos fibres is known to cause life-threatening diseases such as malignant lung cancers, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Compensation for such diseases is available throughout Australia.

This financial year, the average claim settlement in Australia for James Hardie victims was $231,000. This $12,000 increase is largely a result of an increase in mesothelioma claims in Australia, from 456 to 542 claims over 12 months.

James Hardie is now expected to pay $117 million extra to a special victims’ fund. This brings the company’s asbestos liability to approximately $1.7 billion.


Asbestos Warning for Do-It-Yourself Home Renovators in Australia

Despite the phasing out of asbestos use in Australia towards the end of the 1980s and its total ban in 2003, many homes in Australia still contain remnants of asbestos-based products. From the 1940s, asbestos was used commonly in cement products (such as fibro sheeting, pipes and gutters), as well as in insulation and soundproofing materials.

Although certain parts of Australia have undergone clean-up programs, there is no doubt that asbestos is still present in a large number of homes.

This is alarming considering the toxicity of asbestos. When air-borne asbestos fibres are breathed in, they are potentially hazardous. Such exposure to asbestos is a known cause of diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other respiratory diseases.

Studies have shown that do-it-yourself home renovators are increasingly at risk, with growing numbers of diagnoses of malignant mesothelioma for this group. They warn of a ‘third-wave’ of mesothelioma victims. This group is more likely to have had a short-term and/or low-level exposure to products containing asbestos. The group is also expected to have a shorter latency period between exposure and diagnosis of mesothelioma.

As such, it is important that home-owners in Australia are aware of the dangers of asbestos. To stay protected, it is important to have a trained asbestos professional inspect any suspicious materials, and have them removed properly and safely. While mesothelioma is treatable through means such as surgery and chemotherapy, there is no known cure. For those who suffer mesothelioma, they may be able to receive mesothelioma compensation in Australia.