Queensland authorities worked hard over the weekend to clear asbestos in the Airport Link tunnel in Brisbane, Queensland. Emergency services have said a car carrying a trailer full of asbestos sheets lost its load in the tunnel on early Saturday afternoon. Before the tunnel was closed many cars drove over the asbestos sheets causing the asbestos to break up into pieces.

In order to reduce the threat from the asbestos, firefighters used water and foam and an asbestos removal company was contacted to clean up the asbestos. Police are now undertaking an investigation into the situation and trying to identify how the asbestos was contained in the trailer. The tunnel remained closed for several hours on Saturday afternoon and night in order to ensure nobody else was exposed to asbestos.

Exposure to asbestos is a serious health concern as it can result in people contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung caner and mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma in Australia is a problem that state and federal governments deal with. Unfortunately, there have been many people who develop asbestos related conditions in Queensland such as mesothelioma in Queensland.

In 2010 the state government of Western Australia conducted an audit which revealed that 45 percent of homes were contaminated with asbestos. To date, although the proportion has decreased to about 40 percent, there are still 740 State houses that need urgent attention. These houses were deemed “high priority” in the 2010 audit.

The Asbestos Diseases Society president has expressed his frustration regarding this situation, and has claimed that the number of houses that still contain asbestos is “unacceptable”. Shadow housing minister Fran Logan concurs and further adds that all houses on the high priority list should be asbestos free by now.

The Asbestos Disease Society is extremely concerned about the children’s safety. Once inhaled, asbestos can lead to deadly diseases such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.

Some have argued that the West Australian Government is attempting to downplay the risk that asbestos poses. Steve Parry, the Department of Housing service delivery general manager, has stated that as long as the asbestos remains undisturbed, there is no real threat to the public. Although Parry acknowledges that the asbestos needs to be removed, he stands firm in his belief that it does not constitute an emergency.

In West Australia, many cases of asbestos related diseases have occurred in the past. Asbestos related compensation in Western Australia has seen an increase in the number of claims being brought by Australians suffering asbestos conditions such as mesothelioma.

In 2006, detainees of Villawood Detention Centre in NSW were temporarily re-allocated as reports revealed widespread contamination of asbestos in the area. After the clean up, immigration officials claimed that the risk of asbestos had drastically decreased.

However, seven years later, large amounts of asbestos are apparently still present in this New South Wales detention centre. To date, it is Australia’s largest mainland detention facility, currently holding 411 asylum seekers. This means that a dangerously large amount of people are presently being potentially exposed to asbestos fibres.

The expert reports have classified the asbestos as “medium” risk, and recommended that the asbestos be isolated in controlled units until safely removed. This medium risk asbestos has been found in a multitude of heater shafts and cupboards. The non-friable or “low” risk asbestos has been found in the ceiling, pipes and floor tiles in the administration area, detainee dorm rooms and staff kitchen.

The New South Wales Department of Immigration Citizenship (DIAC) spokeswoman Lancia Jordana has submitted the department has worked tirelessly over the past 7 years to minimise the threat of asbestos exposure and ensure the safety of those at Villawood Detention Centre. She has stated that the contaminations are “well below the acceptable levels for asbestos set out under the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000”. When asked directly about the “medium” risks, Jordana stated that she had not been given access to the expert report and relied on what she was told by the department.

Many detainees are being held at the Villawood Centre for an undefined period of time; others have already been there for months or even years. The longer people are exposed to asbestos, the more risk that have in contracting an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.

Mesothelioma in Australia unfortunately occurs all too often, the same can be said for asbestosis in Australia. In New South Wales, there has even been specific legislation introduced to assist those who wish to make a claim for asbestos compensation in New South Wales. This just demonstrates the depth of the problem. Indeed, most states have introduced legislation to assist those making a claim for asbestos compensation in Australia.

It has been reported that asbestos was found over the school holidays at the Eden pre-school in NSW which is operated by the Bega Valley Shire Council. The asbestos was discovered in one of the school’s electric meter boxes.

Six asbestos fibres were found at the school after the Bega Valley Shire Council organized for specialists to come in and examine the situation. The asbestos was removed immediately by specialized asbestos removalists and air monitoring was conducted which revealed the building was asbestos free.

The amount of asbestos that was found has been described as less than expected in a building this old. Many homes and buildings built before the mid 1980s are likely to contain asbestos. However this asbestos does not pose a risk to people’s health unless it is disturbed or damaged. If this does occur, asbestos fibres may become airborne and those people exposed to them could contract an asbestos related disease.

Asbestos related diseases in New South Wales, and indeed asbestos related diseases in Australia, has affected many people of the last few decades. Mesothelioma in New South Wales and mesothelioma in Australia is just one example of the asbestos related disease an Australian can contract following exposure.

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