Anti-asbestos campaigner Larry Stoffman is travelling around Australia as part of asbestos awareness week thanking unions for their help and encouraging them not to stop fighting the battle against asbestos. He spoke out at the Unions NSW forum in Sydney saying that unless the asbestos industry is shut down worldwide, masses of workers will become victims of asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Unions NSW used the forum as a chance to encourage the Australian government to place pressure on Canada to include asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention as they are the only G8 country who has objected to do so. Mr Stoffman is aiming to encourage Australia and Canada to financially assist developing regions to support them becoming asbestos free and help them deal with the health consequences that come from asbestos use.

The shutting down of the asbestos industry worldwide would contribute to creating an asbestos free Australia. This would be an important step given the asbestos cancer mesothelioma is expected to peak within the next decade. Luckily legislation is in place in Australian states, including South Australia and Victoria, to assist those individuals with an asbestos compensation claim, including asbestosis compensation and mesothelioma compensation in Australia.

Funds have been granted through the Asbestos Innovation Fund to researchers to assist those people suffering from asbestos related diseases. Included in those selected were researchers from Queensland Mesothelioma Project, Southern Cross University and the University of Queensland.

Of the funds, $150,000 was granted to Dr Kimberly Stannard from the Queensland Mesothelioma Project to test a new mesothelioma treatment regime. $96,015 was given to Professor Rick van der Zwan from the Southern Cross University to investigate the changes a person living with an asbestos related illness including asbestosis and mesothelioma goes through. A further $45,800 was awarded to Professor Judith Bauer from University of Queensland to better understand the nutritional needs of people with mesothelioma.

While these costs are high, Australian Federal Minister Bill Shorten has assured the public that the cost of doing nothing would be much higher. This is the case because mesothelioma is expected to claim the lives of more Australians than the First World War.

Fortunately Australian states including NSW, South Australia and Victoria have legislation in place to assist those people needing to pursue an asbestos compensation claim, including both asbestosis compensation in Australia and mesothelioma compensation in Australia.

Tenterfield shire council in NSW has joined the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) in promoting National Asbestos Awareness Week which runs from the 26th to the 30th November. This commitment from this New South Wales council has come after they have been subject to many asbestos issues after the fire in January at Sunnyside Loop Waste Transfer Station and the finding of asbestos in mulch at the beginning of the year.

Tenterfield shire council is almost finished removing the asbestos contaminated mulch from 17 properties in the area which had apparently been taken from the transfer station. Thus they are extremely happy to be involved in Asbestos Awareness Week which is aimed at increasing the community’s knowledge of the risks associated with asbestos.

“Don’t play Renovation Roulette!” is the message being sent to all Australians this week in an attempt to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure for those undertaking renovations. Home renovators are said to be the third wave of people affected by asbestos related diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Australians must learn how to recognize asbestos and manage it in a way that will protect themselves and their families from contracting mesothelioma which is expected to be on the rise in Australia.

Australian shows such as The Block and Better Homes and Gardens are being blamed for fuelling the new do-it-yourself obsession that is believed to be causing the next wave of asbestos victims. A tragic result of this new trend is the increasing number of women renovators being diagnosed with mesothelioma and this figure is only expected to rise within the next 40 years.

While these shows have created the DIY craze, they have failed to warn the public that asbestos is likely to be present in most homes built before the early 1980s. This new craze has seen mesothelioma move away from mainly affecting asbestos miners and tradesman as it has in the past. Now, home renovators are at a risk of contracting asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma and asbestosis, the new asbestos campaign aims to focus on these dangers.

Australia suffers from one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world as a result of being a heavy user of asbestos before its nationwide ban in December 2003. As a result many Australian States including NSW, Victoria and South Australia have legislation in place to assist those perusing an asbestos compensation claim including both asbestosis compensation in Australia and mesothelioma compensation in Australia. The Sydney Opera House was illuminated blue on the 26th November to honour the many victims of asbestos as part of National Asbestos Awareness Week.