NSW Free Asbestos Removal!!!

Well that's how a lot of articles are branding it, but it's not quite the truth. The Minns Labor Government are putting forward their first step in the NSW Government Asbestos Plan of Action. The articles and announcements I have read are putting forward statements like "free asbestos removal", "ensure safer handling for families and workers" or "combat illegal dumping". So, what is it all about?

NSW Asbestos Plan of Action

Well this is a step in the Asbestos Plan of Action. From 2027 the NSW Government will be investing $9M into a free 'curbside pickup' style program for asbestos waste. This will apply to the domestic removal of small quantities of non-friable asbestos waste (that point doesn't really get too much airtime). This step is considered a medium term action in focus area 1.

What else is in the NSW Asbestos Plan of Action? Well, it's all targeted at the beneficial reuse of recovered materials. Think recycling of construction and demolition wastes, crushed aggregates, recycled mulch etc. How can we keep asbestos from entering these waste recycling processes?

Link here: NSW Asbestos Plan of Action

Two other key parts of the plan are education/training and promoting intrusive asbestos surveys.

Education and training provide key knowledge to residents and contractors around safety processes, friability of asbestos and legal requirements.

Asbestos surveys identify asbestos building materials in the property and assess things like friability.

The only short term action listed in focus area 1 is to "Promote intrusive asbestos surveys as best practice for detecting asbestos prior to undertaking demolition and renovation projects.". Fingers crossed something is rolled out in that space, a key part of avoiding asbestos in C&D waste is proper inspection, removal and clearance.

Safer Handling of Asbestos for Families and Workers

Is it? This program does nothing for safe removal practices. The NSW Government is essentially facilitating a wave of unlicensed asbestos removal. Even with small quantities of non-friable asbestos, I have witnessed the absolute carnage that can be caused first hand. I don't care if you are a builder, or a demolition worker, if you aren't a ticketed and experienced asbestos removal worker then you will likely stuff it up.

Critical asbestos removal controls will be skipped (dust suppression, denailing, removal as whole sheets, drop sheets, exclusion zones etc.). Not to mention things like H Class HEPA vacuums, PPE and respirator fit testing. What are people insured for if things go wrong during their voluntary unlicensed asbestos removal?

Further to this, how many residents will go ahead and strip <10m2 of friable sheet vinyl and contaminate their entire house exposing their families to the danger, all because they are unaware of the difference of asbestos in sheet vinyl vs. vinyl tiles.

Or how many will push beyond the 10 square meter mark?

I'm sure once it's wrapped up on the curbside our government won't be checking what's inside or counting square meters... That's assuming it's even wrapped properly. What about the trail of asbestos fragments up the driveway? IYKYK

Combatting Illegal Dumping

Well not quite. I'm not sure what the percentage of illegally dumped asbestos waste is small scale residential waste, but I imagine it's pretty small. Most of the time we are talking about tipper loads, truck loads, or soil waste. Thankfully, part of the Asbestos Plan of Action will involve tracking of loads rejected by waste facilities and better classification of loads leaving sites, which will be another step forward when implemented.

From my experience, a large proportion of illegally dumped asbestos waste relates to contracted work. Some examples for me personally in the last 6 months:

• Over 200m2 of asbestos roof sheeting, stacked in neat parcels, dumped in the bush in Nelson Bay.

• Tipper load of roof tiles mixed with asbestos fibre cement dumped in Lake Macquarie.

• Tipper loaded with up to 2 tonnes of asbestos waste abandoned in Newcastle.

• Full bathroom strip out dumped in bushland in Newcastle.

• Approx 20m2 asbestos fibre cement parcels dumped in bushland in Newcastle.

• 20m3 asbestos impacted soil dumped in Newcastle.

  
  

These examples are not residents tipping this material. These are contractors appearing to do the right thing on site and dumping waste intentionally.

We need to better educate clients and PCBUs on the asbestos documentation requirements and establish a greater connection between SafeWork NSW notification systems, LAA clearances and EPA waste tracking.

My Conclusion

Free pickup of asbestos in a 'bulky waste collection' style format is not a bad thing. Any step forward is a good thing. But, it does come with it's risks. Maybe delaying the start of this scheme and investing 12 months into the education and training side of things, along with putting money into subsidising domestic asbestos registers would serve as a more informed first step.

We need to be pushing residents away from doing their own DIY asbestos removal. People need to understand all the risks of embarking on this type of work.

With one in three homes containing asbestos, why can't we have a program where home owners are provided subsidies for commissioning an asbestos register for their property? If home owners have a quality asbestos register, along with the ability to interpret that register, they could better understand which jobs can and can't be done.

What we see here is somewhat of a step forward in the NSW Asbestos Plan Of Action, maybe it was the quickest and easist step to get rolling? All I know is $9M won't go all that far, and the impact on illegal dumping of asbestos will be small. This needs to be followed up with far more action. And fast.