$6 million in compensation has been awarded to seventeen victims of asbestos in Tasmania under the new Asbestos Disease Compensation Scheme which was implemented last year.

Of these seventeen victims, twelve were found to be suffering from fatal asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma and lung cancer. While the other five were found to have been suffering mainly from asbestosis.

These 17 asbestos victims were exposed to asbestos whilst working in industries such as cement, mechanics, paper manufacturers and roofing.

While this scheme is in place to compensate victims of asbestos, they may still chose to pursue an asbestos compensation claim through common law instead.

Legislation in other Australian states such as NSW, Victoria and South Australia also assist victims of asbestos with pursuing an asbestos compensation claim including both mesothelioma compensation and asbestosis compensation.

These legal avenues are extremely important as asbestos related diseases are a major health concern for Australia as we have one of the highest rates of asbestos related illnesses in the world.

Telstra has stopped a contractor from working on a site for the National Broadband Network after asbestos-contaminated concrete was found scattered near a new Telstra pit in a front yard in Mandurah in Western Australia.

The asbestos contaminated concrete was discovered in France Street and there are fears that these fragments maybe disturbed when people mow their lawns and could then pose a serious health risk to the community. This could be the case as even minimal exposure to asbestos can lead to individuals contracting asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma.

Telstra’s chief operations officer has spoke out saying that when the contractor had finished remediation of the pit in France Street in mid October, there was no concrete present like the kind that has been found now. The area has now been barricaded and Telstra is in the process of clearing the site by following asbestos handling procedures.

Mundurah asbestos removalist Dave Hargreaves has said that it is extremely important to be vigilant in removing asbestos as the fibre that causes serious health problems is microscopic. Proper asbestos removal is extremely important within Australia as the fatal cancer mesothelioma is expected to rise.

A man has received a $1,200 fine after he failed to reveal to police the identity of the person driving a ute that was responsible for dumping a trailer of asbestos in the driveway of a Wollongong City Councilor.

Despite the car being registered in the man’s grandmother’s name and telling police many other people drive the ute, Brett Blackwell was found to be responsible for the ute that was captured dumping the asbestos on CCTV footage.

Magistrate Les Mabbutt found that because Blackwell was responsible for the vehicle, he had a duty to reveal to police who was driving the ute at the time the asbestos was dumped and failing to do was the reason the fine was issued.
These kinds of disciplinary actions are extremely important when it comes to asbestos as even minimal exposure to asbestos can result in a person contracting an asbestos related illness such as mesothelioma.

Asbestos related diseases are a major health concern for Australia as Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos related illnesses in the world. The most troubling of these is the cancer mesothelioma which has already claimed the lives of so many Australians and the number of new cases is only expected to rise.

For people in Australian suffering asbestos conditions, multiple states such as South Australia and Victoria have implemented specific legislation to assist sufferers of asbestos conditions to pursue asbestos compensation.

Asbestos has been discovered in Kingsley Reserve playground in Glenunga, South Australia, by Burnside Council. Further asbestos was also found in the area at Glenunga Croquet Club in sheeting and pipe under a newly planted vegetable garden.

The asbestos was found by Burnside Council staff when they conducted their regular examination of the Kingsley Reserve park. Council has confirmed that both the playground and vegetable garden will be closed until the asbestos is removed from the areas. Council have also spoken out saying that the asbestos found poses a small risk to the community as testing has revealed that the asbestos fragments are not likely to become airborne.

Despite this, even minimal exposure to asbestos can lead to a person contracting an asbestos related illness such as mesothelioma. The council is making efforts to speak to all people who have been know to come in contact with the contaminated soil and to keep them up to date. These precautions are good as asbestos related illnesses are a major health concern, especially mesothelioma, which is expected to peak within the next decade.

South Australia has one of the highest incidences of asbestos related illnesses in the world. There are many mesothelioma claims in South Australia each year, and many asbestos compensation claims commenced in the Adelaide Court. There is specific legislation in South Australia designed to assist South Australian’s suffering asbestos conditions pursue a claim for asbestos compensation in South Australia.