The estimated cost for getting rid of asbestos from all Tasmanian state-owned buildings has been revealed in a hearing in Tasmania on the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Bill. The figure is said to be in the order of $1.5 billion. The removal of asbestos from these buildings is part of the Australian Federal Government’s plan to have all asbestos removed from government and commercial buildings in Australia by 2030.

Roy Ormerod, Workplace Standards general manager, has revealed what these costs are. It will cost Housing Tasmania $400 million to remove asbestos and replace it with a different material from all of their properties. It could cost the Education Department anywhere between $200 million to $1.5 billion to remove asbestos from their 500 buildings, and it will cost the Health Department an estimated $7 million to rid their buildings and hospitals of toxic asbestos.

The removal of asbestos from all public buildings should be a priority of the Tasmanian government. This is because the lack of knowledge among Australians about the dangers associated with asbestos could result in an increase in the number of people who contract asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma in Australia. This is especially the case as home renovations are becoming more and more popular.

Simon Cocker the Asbestos-Free Tasmania president spoke out at the hearing saying 30,000 to 40,000 Australians would be diagnosed with asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis within the next decade. This is major concern which is pushing for Australia to be asbestos free by 2030, especially because despite there being mesothelioma treatment in Australia, often no cure can be provided.

Specific legislation was implemented in Tasmania in recent years to assist those suffering asbestos conditions pursue an asbestos compensation claim in Tasmania.

Barry Knowles from the Perth Hills will walk 950km by the end of this year in an effort to raise much needed funds for research into the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma. This is a major effort, as Mr Knowles is suffering from mesothelioma himself after a lifetime of handling asbestos working in the building industry. 350km of this will be added on when Mr Knowles joins a Walk for Awareness and Research for the Asbestos Disease Society of Australia next month.

The extra funding is much needed and welcomed as the number of people diagnosed with an asbestos related disease in Australia increased last year. These diseases included lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. While Australia has some of the most skilled and enlightened asbestos researchers in the world, they are not receiving enough funding to maintain their extremely important work.

While there is mesothelioma treatment in Australia available, the disease still remains incurable and finding a prevention or cure is a huge challenge faced by modern medicine. Asbestos related diseases claim the lives of many Australian’s each year. Therefore finding treatment for mesothelioma in Australia is most important.

Mr Knowles, along with his daughter Jo, successfully raised $75,000 last year for asbestos research by walking from Kalgoorlie to Perth. This money is truly needed to help save lives as Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos related diseases in the world.

Once again, large amounts of asbestos have been found at a children’s football oval in Rockdale Sydney which has lead to fears that the site has been used as an asbestos dumping ground for some time now. This discovery comes after the Rockdale City Council spent nearly $600,000 ridding the site of toxic asbestos in 2010.

Ador Avenue Reserve has been the source of serious asbestos concerns over the past few years. By November 2011, Council released a final clearance certificate stating that the site was free from asbestos after they had spend large amounts of money clearing the area. However in April last year, workers emailed council informing them they found a considerable amount of asbestos on the oval despite this clearance certificate.

Environmental experts warned in a report last August that the site was not safe because of asbestos contamination. Exposure to asbestos can lead to individuals contracting serious asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. In November last year the council undertook another clean up process removing all pieces of asbestos, laying a geotextile surface and returfing the oval.

A council spokesman has spoken up saying the oval remains closed but after soil tests it can be confirmed that the site is clear of all asbestos. Local residents are disgusted to have learnt there was still asbestos present on the oval. This is not surprising as asbestos poses a health risk to all those people who come in contact with it including children who regularly play sport on the oval. The correct asbestos procedures are necessary for ensuring this oval poses no health risk to the community.

Asbestos cases in Sydney have impacted many lives over many years. There are many doctors who treat those who suffer mesothelioma in Sydney.

It has been discovered that a number of facilities and areas in Hakea Prison, Western Australia, contain asbestos. The prison was constructed before the 1970s; buildings of that period are likely to contain asbestos.

Unstable asbestos was found in the ceilings of the prison by WorkSafe. Shadow Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia has stated that this issue needs to be addressed immediately; the areas contaminated with asbestos need to be evacuated, and removal of the dangerous fibres by experts should commence as soon as possible.

However, issues arise due to the fact that the prison is currently at full capacity. This is because the prison is currently housing juveniles from the Banksia Hill detention centre as a result of the riots that took place in January. Therefore, evacuation of the premises is not an option at this moment in time. The Corrective Services Minister, Joe Francis, has submitted that they must simply wait for the juveniles to be returned to Banksia Hill before they can move the Hakea prisoners from their cells.

It is important that the officials act efficiently on this important issue. Asbestos, once disturbed, releases fine asbestos particles in the air. When these dangerous particles are inhaled, they embed themselves into the lung, and this can lead to mesothelioma other asbestos conditions. Such diseases do not simply affect people who come into direct contact with asbestos fibres; the thin particles can be carried home and affect the wives, children and family members of those who have been exposed to asbestos.