As of today, renovations or developments in NSW that require the removal or repair of more than 10 square metres of bonded asbestos material, or any amount of loose fibred friable asbestos, will require a complying development certificate.

The changes to the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act require:

• an outline of how much asbestos is in the proposed renovation or development;
• the use of a fully licensed asbestos removalist to carry out the work safely; and
• details of which landfill site the asbestos material will be taken to, to prevent illegal dumping which has become increasingly prevalent.

ADFA president Barry Robson said that the changes were vital to halt the large number of people unknowingly exposed to deadly asbestos fibres during renovations or demolition work.

“With up to a third of Australian homes still containing asbestos products, these tough new regulations are absolutely vital to protect the community from exposure to this deadly, cancer-causing fibre,” Mr Robson said.

“The danger is still there, lurking in many homes, and this is a good step to make sure asbestos is identified, removed and disposed of in a way which prevents exposure.“Sadly, in many cases unsafe removal has resulted not only in home renovators suffering deadly asbestos related diseases, but also their young children, which is a terrible and preventable tragedy. “While asbestos victims are still desperately supporting research for a cure, it is vitally important that we prevent other Australian’s from suffering the same fate at the hands of this deadly product.”

 Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!

At this time we know that many people will be undertaking renovations to their homes. For all home renovators, please be aware that asbestos materials may not be immediately recognisable. When in doubt, please seek the advice of an asbestos inspection service or an occupational hygienist.

If you want to remove asbestos from your home, please seek a professional asbestos removal service.

26 October 2009

 Barry Robson, President of the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA) has reacted with concern to revelations today that the Asbestos Injury Compensation Foundation (AICF) will imminently run out of money to fund victim compensation.

 The AICF was set up in 2007 arising from the national campaign by asbestos advocacy groups to force James Hardie to fully fund its liabilities for exposing tens of thousands of Australians to asbestos building products. 

 The funding shortfall arises from difficulties the multinational is having abroad with cash flow, retarding its capacity to top the fund up.

 Mr. Robson today called on Prime Minister Rudd to intervene personally and take charge of negotiations, to ensure asbestos victims are not forced into accepting compensation by instalments.

 He said that a push to have victims compensated in instalments was unacceptable and the Federal Government needed to be involved in a better solution. 

“Australian victims of asbestos disease are worried about these latest developments.  Given the average 155 day timeframe between diagnosis and death with mesothelioma, compensation by installment clearly does not work for victims.”

“This problem is James Hardies responsibility and they should fix it. We have had positive talks with the NSW Government but they can’t fix this without Federal help.  Victims deserve better.”

“James Hardie paid $153 million in taxation in December last year.  One solution could be the Commonwealth lending the compensation fund this money short term, until the US housing market improves and Hardies can again top the fund up.”

20 August 2009

 Ahead of the Supreme Court decision in the ASIC civil prosecution of former James Hardie executives and directors this morning, Australia’s peak victim’s advocacy organisation, ADFA,  has called for the Australian Government to commit any fines levied by the Court into the asbestos compensation fund for victims, into education about the safe handling of asbestos and into research to find a cure for mesothelioma.

 The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (adfa) said today that if Justice Gzell fines former executives and non executive directors of the building products multinational, these fines would normally go into consolidated revenue but on this occasion the priority should be victims of the company’s asbestos products.

 ADFA President Barry Robson said that under the Corporations Act, Justice Gzell can impose fines and/or ban individuals from being directors of a company. If the maximum fines are handed down all up it would total in excess of $2million.  

 “We say the fines should go to the victims- after all the fines would arise out of the company, executives and directors behavior in trying to move off shore without leaving adequate funds for victims. If there are substantial fines then the first priority should be a loan to the Fund that pays victims compensation.”

 “Anything more should go to research to find a cure for mesothelioma or educating the public about the dangers of asbestos, which is still in most homes throughout Australia. This is especially important because Hardies have not put any significant money into research or education.”

 “The prosecution may be over today but this is not over for Hardie’s victims. There is no certainty that future compensation awards will be met given the Fund is running out of money and Hardies have refused to top it up. Hardie is crying poor- citing the global financial crisis- yet at its Information to Shareholders Meeting in Sydney this week it talked up its profitability and consequently its share price increased by 21%.”

 “We cannot forget the victims- they are still sick and dying. They deserve some sense of justice- there has still been no criminal prosecutions of Hardies’ directors both for their recent conduct or in making a product they knew could kill people without warning its workers or users of its products.”

Government inquiry needed into poisoning of entire community

18 May 2009

 Australia’s main asbestos advocacy group, ADFA, is today calling for the urgent evacuation of an Aboriginal community on the NSW South Coast, following independent test results confirming widespread asbestos contamination across the entire community.

 The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA) is also calling for the federal Government to institute an urgent independent inquiry into exactly how an entire community could be exposed to asbestos for so many years.

 ADFA President Barry Robson, who has visited the Wallaga Lakes Aboriginal community several times in the last month, said that a war of words had broken out between state and federal government as to how the contamination had occurred and who was responsible for the clean up.

 “How this fiasco occurred remains to be seen – and should be the subject of a thorough, independent inquiry.“

 “What is needed now however is the urgent evacuation of the entire community until the area is made safe.  Currently we have children playing in and around asbestos contamination and government authorities who should know better failing to so much as put up the correct warning signage.”

 “The independent test results are in, Wallaga Lakes is a ticking bomb.” 

 “One thing is certain – this sort of fiasco would not be tolerated in a white Australian community.” 

 “Blame can and should be apportioned later, but now this community needs to be taken to safety urgently.”

8 May 2009

 Trustees of the James Hardie Asbestos Injury Compensation Fund (AICF) this afternoon met with the leadership of four major victims advocacy groups in Sydney, where the advocacy groups were advised of problems with the fund set up to compensate victims of James Hardie asbestos products.

 Commenting after the meeting, ADFA President Barry Robson confirmed the news was grim.

 “The fund has advised they will have problems meeting their 3-5 year compensation targets and have flagged the possibility of compensation payments by instalment.  There is a substantial shortfall in funding required to meet obligations, arising from the impact of the recession on James Hardie.”

 “All victims groups attending the meeting are opposed to instalment payments, the bottom line is instalment payments don’t work so well for people who are dying.”

 “We may need to call on both the NSW and Federal Governments to help find an alternative solution.”

 Attendees of the meeting include the leadership of the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (adfa), the Asbestos Victims Association of South Australia (AVA-SA), the Queensland Asbestos Related Diseases Support Society (QARDSS) and Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Support (GARDS) as well as NSW Manufacturing Workers State Secretary Paul Bastian and victim legal counsel Tanya Segelov of Turner Freeman Lawyers.

 The groups will now attend a meeting at 3-30pm, with the NSW Attorney General to discuss the problem.

As we reported previously, the current housing of the Yuin people of this region is built directly on top of the demolished remnants of older fibro housing.

Not many people know that the origins of May Day as an international workers day of commemoration actually has its roots in Australia. Click that highlighted link for some interesting trivia.

In Sydney, this year’s march will take place on Sunday May 3rd meeting at Hyde Park North at Midday. Click here for the speakers list and further details.

We’ll leave the final word to English folk singer Billy Bragg.

I kept the faith and I kept voting
Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand
For theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man
Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
And mine is the peace we knew
Between the wars

The date was first observed in Canada in 1984 and in recent years has been adopted and supported by asbestos campaigners around the world.

See Labornet for a list commemorative gatherings in your area.

Living Black, SBS, 6pm

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Click here for the ABC’s news archive concerning this issue.

Update

This story now available for full download. Click here.