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.

A pile of what appeared to be asbestos was discovered just off Diagonal Road at Bidwill, Fraser Coast, New South Wales. Residents have submitted that Diagonal Road has recently become an unofficial dumping ground. Building materials, old household appliances and other household items are often discarded on the road and scattered into the bush.

The NSW Fraser Coast Regional Council was alerted of the situation, and has commenced investigations regarding the possible illegal dumping of asbestos. At present, the staff are not sure as to whether the pile definitely contains asbestos or not, however the suspicion of asbestos is enough to commence safety procedures. The Council plans on engaging a licensed removalists to clean up the site in a safe and professional manner.

Once the Council is made aware of the situation, they send compliance officers to investigate.

Asbestos dumping in Australia unfortunately appears to be increasing. Every year, many people are diagnosed with asbestos conditions in Australia, such as mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia. Asbestos conditions in Australia have caused much heartache in the past, and it is hoped the terrible practice of dumping asbestos in Australia will cease.

The danger of asbestos exposure to Telstra workers rolling out the National Broadband Network in Goulburn, New South Wales, will be reviewed before they are able to continue working in Telstra pits. A Telstra worker was spotted on Friday working in pits in Goulburn however was wearing all the appropriate protective clothing.

A badly damaged pit which may be contaminated with asbestos requires urgent attention and repairs as it is located on a pedestrian footbridge and could be putting the community at risk. Asbestos exposure is a major health concern in Australia as it can lead to people contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Telstra has confirmed they are taking all the necessary safety measures to ensure the risk of asbestos exposure is kept to a minimum. The pits which contain asbestos are understood to be underground therefore as long as the work around them does not disturb the asbestos, it is hoped they remain safe and pose no health risk to the public.

All Telstra staff are required to follow strict asbestos handling and management procedures while working in the pits. These safety precautions are extremely important as Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos related diseases in the world and the number of people diagnosed with mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia is expected to rise.

In the past, there have been many asbestos compensation claims in Australia on behalf of former Telstra workers.

Kelso High School which has been completely rebuilt after a terrible fire in 2005 is the only school in the Bathurst, New South Wales, area that is entirely free of asbestos. This has been confirmed by the NSW Education and Communities asbestos register which outlines where asbestos is present and its condition in all the state’s public schools. The NSW asbestos register shows that asbestos is present in almost every school in the Bathurst area however this asbestos is regarded to be in a good condition and remains safe as long as it is not disturbed.

It is not surprising that there is some much asbestos in New South Wales schools considering that from the 1940s to 1980s asbestos was a widely used building material all throughout Australia.

The NSW asbestos register is updated every year with additional information about the presence of asbestos and its condition in these schools. This is important as while this material poses no health risk if left undisturbed, once this asbestos is disrupted it can pose a serious health risk to all those exposed.

Exposure to asbestos can result in people contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, there are many cases of mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia. Australia is at the forefront of trying to treat mesothelioma.

In order to provide some form of justice to these victims of asbestos, there is legislation in some Australian states including NSW, Victoria and South Australia to help them pursue an asbestos compensation claims in Australia. Not all persons suffering asbestos conditions in Australia are able to claim mesothelioma or asbestosis compensation in Australia.