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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4211 ..

severe and fatal health problems has been around for more than a century. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and it has quite correctly been banned in this country. However, nearly a century of asbestos use has left behind a legacy, in our homes, our workplaces and our public buildings.

Because they are so small, asbestos fibres can easily penetrate body tissue. Their indestructibility means the body’s natural defences cannot break them down. No-one knows exactly how many deaths have been caused by asbestos because it is often misdiagnosed and its effects can take up to 40 years to become apparent. Exposure to asbestos causes a number of extremely debilitating and fatal diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, asbestos-related pleural disease and mesothelioma.

The last of these is usually malignant. It is exceptionally rare, other than in cases of asbestos exposure. Between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of persons diagnosed with mesothelioma can trace the condition to asbestos exposure. Approximately 75 per cent begin in the chest cavity, with about 15 per cent beginning in the abdomen. Even with advanced treatment, most cases are usually fatal within six to 18 months, and fewer than 10 per cent of patients survive five years or more.

So the frightening thing about asbestos is that, despite the long-standing evidence of the horror and the death of so many Australians, people continue to be exposed to potentially lethal asbestos fibres and there has as yet been no coordinated and exhaustive program to identify the asbestos that remains in our city so that Canberrans can be made aware of the risks of this potentially lethal substance in their homes. One in three houses in Australia built before 1982 has asbestos in it. I do not have the figures specifically for the ACT, but it may be even higher here, given the large number of buildings built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as the territory went through one of its growth spurts.

The ACT undertook, some years ago, to remove large amounts of loose asbestos that was used as roof insulation in over 1,000 private homes. I think it is a pity that the particular issues that we are debating tonight were not proceeded with at that time, because at that time there was broad public awareness and support so that, with this issue so much in the media, people were willing to do what was needed to protect themselves and their families. Yet, 15 years after we had that large period of media publicity, we no longer have a systemic plan to remove the threat of asbestos from the people of Canberra.

Estimates suggest that up to 40,000 new cases could appear in the future in Australia. Given some of the high risk practices that have occurred here and the age of our buildings, it seems likely that the territory will have its proportionate share of these problems if nothing is done to prevent them. Home renovators are particularly at risk. Even relatively simple home renovations such as sanding down walls, altering water heaters or drilling into cement could expose people to harmful levels of asbestos. All of these things could expose people to asbestos dust.

However, there are others at risk as well, particularly those employed in workplaces that continue to contain asbestos products. Also at risk are the community sector, many of whom are housed in buildings that are ageing and possibly exposing asbestos fibres to air; and, of course, on-campus accommodation which was built many years ago. The University of Canberra, with some of its old student accommodation, actually has roofs that contain asbestos concrete.

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