Page 300 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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I am pleased to announce that the Alliance Government has decided on its strategy, but before saying what it is I want to briefly refer to the background to this issue. While accepting no legal liability, the Commonwealth Government decided in October 1988 that, for public health reasons, asbestos in Canberra homes had to be removed. The Commonwealth imposed a funding formula under which the ACT was to be responsible for the first $10m, fifty per cent of the next $20m, and one-third of all costs over $30m. Within weeks of that announcement the asbestos branch had been established and a survey commenced of 65,000 houses built prior to 1980.
At the time the extent of the problem was not known but it was believed that there could be upwards of 5,000 Canberra homes affected by asbestos. Ultimately, 1,060 houses were identified as having asbestos insulation. Under a program managed by the asbestos branch these houses have since had their living areas sealed from the roof spaces to make them safe for their occupants.
The problem faced in Canberra is unique. To our knowledge, Canberra is the only place in the world where one hundred per cent pure, loose, dangerous asbestos has been used in homes on such a scale. While Worksafe Australia's code of practice provided the necessary guidelines and principles for asbestos removal work, experience in the asbestos abatement field has generally involved bonded material containing some asbestos rather than pure, loose asbestos.
As a consequence, safe and effective removal techniques for work in the ACT homes that were affected had to be developed from first principles. The removal techniques which were finally included in the government specification were based on the widest possible consultation - including outside Australia - with experienced asbestos removalists, unions, householders and, of course, experts from Worksafe Australia.
Tenders called by the previous ACT Government and based on the specification closed on 12 July 1989. It was then that, in a manner of speaking, the wheels fell off the removal program. It took the previous Government until November 1989 to make a decision and then it was only to let a contract for 100 houses to BRS Asbestos Removal Pty Limited - 100 houses out of 1,060. This has caused additional trauma and anguish for those people who have asbestos in their homes. I believe this is unacceptable and so does the rest of this Government.
There has been constant criticism about the lack of action and commitment, many heart-rending stories forwarded to me, a very emotional public meeting, persistent media attention, an increase in the number of requests for priority removal and an erosion in the value of people's primary asset, their family home. This could have been avoided if the previous Government had been more decisive.
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