Bushfires: communities face asbestos threat as clean-up begins

Building industry insiders warn that roughly one in three homes built before 1990 contains some asbestos.

Australian Defence Force personnel take a break after reaching the cut-off town of Mallacoota, in East Gippsland, on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

The Master Builders Association raised concerns at a roundtable with Scott Morrison that asbestos could threaten communities devas­tated by bushfires as they begin to rebuild, as industry insiders warn that roughly one in three homes built before 1990 contained some asbestos.

The concerns come as commun­ities across the country begin to return to towns devastated by bushfires and Josh Frydenberg put pressure on insurance bosses to prioritise local tradies in the rebuilding effort.

Government officials are concerned that the extent of asbestos in Australian homes — particularly along the south coast of NSW and into Victoria — means people could be unaware of the hazards to health as they begin to clear debris.

MBA chief executive Denita Wawn said the issue was raised with the Prime Minister as part of a broader conversation about the bushfire rebuilding efforts, but the MBA’s core apprehension was ensuring people were provided with appropriate safety information.

“Our concern is making sure that if people are doing their own clearing, they are taking approp­riate asbestos safety precautions,” Ms Wawn said, “that people in those locations are made aware of those risks when they start to do their site clearance.”

Although the issue was raised at federal government level, state governments are expected to co-ordinate each clean-up.

The Environment Protection Authority in NSW will most likely take control of the monumental clean-up across the state, working with professional asbestos cleaners in conjunction with insurers.

Chief executive of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Justine Ross said asbestos was a potential hazard to homes affected by bushfires.

­“Asbestos can be present in as many as one in three homes built prior to 1990, as well as many ­public buildings,’’ she said in a statement. “The most likely time asbestos exposure could occur is during the clean-up, when debris and materials are moved.

“Advice and assistance is available from relevant authorities that need to be followed, including ensurin­g clean-up and removal is undertaken by professional asbestos removalists.”

The extent of homes impacted is uncertain, but government offic­ials were confident the risks were well known in areas where asbestos was widely used, particularly in houses built in the 1960s and 70s with ­fibre cement sheets.

With thousands of homes destroyed­ since September, insurance­ losses are approaching $1.5bn on the back of claims balloonin­g to 13,750 by Tuesday.

Industry analysts expect the natural disaster to become the most costly in Australia’s history.

The widespread rebuilding effor­t means local tradespeople and people who have lost homes in the bushfire are at threat from asbesto­s, but Ms Wawn said she was confident qualified builders were well-informed of the risks.