Despite a ban and decline of asbestos use and distribution, the dangers and consequences associated with asbestos have not been left in Australia’s past. The Australian Mesothelioma Registry’s (AMR) first annual report has confirmed this showing that new cases of mesothelioma are developing all throughout Australia.
Australia is feeling the consequences of asbestos exposure very severely as the report revealed Australia as having one of the highest incidence rates of mesothelioma in the world. The number of new cases of mesothelioma in the last 10 years has been subject to fluctuation with a decline occurring from 2003 to 2006, only to see the numbers rise again in 2007.
In 2007 the number of new mesothelioma cases recorded by Safe Work Australia was 668, the AMR 2011 annual report showed this number to have increased once again. The registry recorded 842 new cases of mesothelioma between July 2010 and December 2011. However the actual number of new mesothelioma cases could exceed this figure as not all cases are reported to the Registry.
Mesothelioma is a serious problem for Australia not just because of the seriousness of the disease, but because experts have predicted that the number of new cases and deaths is likely to continue to rise. This rise can be linked to a rise in the number of people undertaking home renovations which the report revealed to be the most common circumstance of non-occupational exposure to asbestos. Hopefully the Government’s effort to make Australia asbestos free by the year 2030 will reduce the rise of new mesothelioma cases and help win the fight against this heartbreaking disease.
Another gauge on the numbers of Australians being diagnosed with mesothelioma is to look at the number of mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia. In NSW, mesothelioma compensation claims are brought in the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales. For mesothelioma claims in Victoria, the Supreme Court of Victoria is the relevant Court. For mesothelioma compensation claims in South Australia, such asbestos claims are commenced in the District Court of Australia located in Adelaide.
