Gosford Council in NSW has spoke out to the community warning homeowners to make sure they check carefully for asbestos in their homes before undertaking renovations. Gosford Council has joined the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute of Australia to participate in Asbestos Awareness Week to help reduce the number of home renovators being diagnosed with asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Gosford Mayor, Lawrie McKinna, spoke about the serious problem of asbestos, highlighting that Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos diseases in the world and the number of people affected by mesothelioma is only going to rise.
McKinna has stressed that people should take the dangers of asbestos seriously when renovating or maintaining their homes or they will be putting themselves and their family at risk.
As part of an asbestos awareness campaign in Gosford, a purpose-build asbestos education truck was set up on Wednesday in Gosford’s Kibble Park. Once the Asbestos Awareness week comes to an end, the truck will be taken around the state by The Asbestos Diseases Research Institute to further educate people on the dangers of asbestos.
Asbestos diseases have claimed the lives of many Australians, especially the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, due to Australia being such a heavy user of the deadly material in the past. As a result, many Australian states including NSW, South Australia and Victoria have introduced legislation that assists individuals pursuing an asbestos compensation claim including both asbestosis compensation and mesothelioma compensation claims.
