Please note Council has no legal role to play in asbestos removal and the following is provided for information purposes only.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the generic term for a number of fibrous silicate minerals. Due to its' ability to withstand heat, erosion and decay, and its fire- and water- resistant properties, it was historically considered a useful and versatile product.

Asbestos is described as either "bonded" or "friable".

Bonded asbestos is when asbestos fibres are bonded to another material, for example cement. Bonded asbestos cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry. However, if fire, hail, or water blasting damages bonded asbestos, it may become friable asbestos material.

The removal of bonded asbestos products with a total area greater than 10m² must be undertaken by a contractor licensed by WorkCover NSW.

Friable asbestos material is any material that contains asbestos and is in the form of a powder or can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Friable asbestos was not commonly used in the home; it was mainly used in industrial applications. Examples of Asbestos fibre or dust waste include brake lining dust, acoustic insulation, thermal insulation (lagging) and dust from ventilation collection systems.

Friable asbestos should only be removed by a specialised asbestos removal contractor with a friable asbestos licence issued by WorkCover NSW.

Where can Asbestos be found?

Asbestos fibres were widely used in building materials before the mid-1980s. If your house was built or renovated before the mid-1980s, it is likely to contain asbestos cement building material.

Bonded asbestos was most commonly used in buildings as flat or corrugated sheeting (‘fibro'), for walls, ceilings and roofing. Similar cement sheeting products are used today, but these are 'asbestos free'. In the 1960s and 70s loose fibre asbestos was used in some parts of NSW as home roof insulation.

Other products containing asbestos included water, drainage and flue pipes; electrical conduit and guttering and floor tiles.

In NSW, the use of asbestos was discontinued in all fibro sheets and products by the mid-1980s. After this, asbestos continued to be used principally in friction products, for brake and clutch linings. The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003.

Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body. The inhalation of asbestos fibres is known to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

Asbestos is a health risk when the fibres are released into the air and breathed in.

Finding that your home or workplace is made from products containing asbestos does not mean your health is at risk. Studies have shown that these products, if in sound condition and left undisturbed, are not a significant health risk. If the asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in cement sheet or structure, generally you do not need to remove the asbestos, or even coat it.

Further advice concerning the health risks of asbestos can be obtained from your local public health unit. The Greater Western Public Health Unit in Bathurst can be contacted on 02 6339 5601.

Licences for the Removal and Handling of Asbestos

The removal and disposal of asbestos products is strictly controlled by the Occupational, Health and Safety Act. Council is not a regulatory authority under this Act. Licences for asbestos removal is regulated and administered by WorkCover NSW.

There are two types of asbestos licences:

AS1 - The operator can carry out work with friable and bonded asbestos
AS2 - The operator can carry out work with bonded asbestos only

As of 1st January 2008 a licence from WorkCover NSW is required for the removal of 10m² or more of bonded asbestos material. That area is about the size of a small bathroom.

A licence from WorkCover NSW is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos. The contractor must also obtain a site-specific permit from WorkCover NSW to carry out this type of work.

Council recommends that you ask your contractor to provide you with a copy of their licence prior to engaging them. You can then check with WorkCover NSW (Tel 13 10 50) to confirm the contractor has the appropriate class of licence for the asbestos removal job.

An accredited asbestos removalist can be contacted through the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (02) 8586 3521 or for a listing of licenced asbestos removal contractors in your area, refer to the local telephone directory or the Yellow Pages.

a)  Removal and Handling of Asbestos as Part of a Development Application

Where the removal of asbestos is part of a development, the Applicant/Owner must provide Bathurst Regional Council with a copy of a signed contract with licenced contractor before any development commences. This contract must indicate whether any bonded or friable asbestos material will be removed, and if so, must specify the landfill site (that may lawfully receive asbestos) to which the asbestos material is to be delivered.

Note: A licenced asbestos removal contractor must hold an AS1, AS2 or appropriate demolition licence issued by WorkCover NSW for the removal of asbestos. A certificate obtained from a one or two day TAFE course is not the same as an asbestos removal licence.

b)  Removal and Handling of Asbestos that is not part of a Development Application

It is important to obtain advice on how to identify, remove and handle asbestos and other hazardous substances properly.

Special care and management is needed even for small renovation jobs that don't require a development application.

Disposal of Asbestos

It is illegal to re-use, recycle or illegally dump asbestos products. It is also illegal to dispose of asbestos waste in domestic garbage bins. Asbestos waste must be disposed of at a landfill site that can lawfully receive this waste.

Bathurst Waste Management Centre accepts asbestos waste. However as asbestos waste must be disposed of by burial, acceptance of the waste is subject to prior arrangement being made with Council's Waste Management Centre Gatehouse on 02 6332 9111 or 0417 065 578.

Contact the Department of Environment and Conservation Pollution Line 13 15 55 for additional information about legally transporting and disposing of asbestos waste.

Compliance

Failure to dispose of asbestos waste appropriately is a health risk and can result in fines and clean up costs.

References

Think Asbestos website

NSW Health website

Safe Work Australia website

If you would like to talk to a Council Officer about asbestos please call 6333 6111.

For further information regarding the safe handling and removal practices of Asbestos

NSW Government website

This website has a brochure:  Fibro and Asbestos - A Renovator and Homeowner's Guide

The site also contains the First Steps Checklist - a safety checklist, including guidance on safe disposal of fibro and some general tips about what to do if fibro is damaged.

In addition to the checklists, you can find more detailed information in the Fibro & Asbestos - Frequently Asked Questions page.

WorkCover NSW or Phone 13 10 50

Click here for an Asbestos Fact Sheet

The WorkCover website has a number of guides and forms
Licence Application Forms
Choosing Asbestos Consultants - Factsheets
Fibro and Asbestos - A Renovator and Homeowners Guide

The Home Building Service website (a division of the Office of Fair Trading)

The NSW Department of Health has fact sheets about asbestos and health risks

DIY Safe website contains information about the hazards and risks that home renovators may face from a range of chemicals and materials, including asbestos

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) website