Page 2072 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 August 2014
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Many middle-aged Canberrans are questioning what exposure they may have unwittingly subjected themselves and their children to when they did their DIY renovations over the years. Many homebuyers are now asking what they have gotten themselves into and how they will get out. As Mr Hanson says, all of us could have been affected in this situation. We cannot underestimate the impact on our community, and I think we all agree.
As we know, a key and important response in addressing the complex challenges raised by Mr Fluffy homes has been the government’s creation of the asbestos response task force. Current home owners and tenants who have registered with the task force are being assisted to arrange asbestos assessments, understand the ramifications of positive asbestos assessments, organise remediation work, access the government’s assistance packages, and liaise with other government agencies and industry.
In addition to the practical support and advice the task force is providing to affected families, the ACT government is providing an emergency support package for those who are forced to leave their homes following advice from the asbestos assessor. Assistance payments are being received by affected families and are making a difference.
As outlined previously, the purpose of these funds is to cover costs of emergency accommodation and other necessities such as food and clothing as well as remedial work. The emergency support package is a grant, as the Chief Minister said yesterday, of up to $10,000 per household for those people advised by an asbestos assessor to leave their homes, and the package cap is increased by $2,000 for each dependent child residing in one of these homes.
For those people who have left their homes on the advice of an assessor, the ACT government is also deferring rates for the period of time the owners have had to vacate. For people who are still residing in the house but who, following the advice of the asbestos assessor, have been required to destroy contaminated items such as clothes and soft furnishings, $1,000 will be available.
In addition to practical impacts on affected families, there are health impacts, of course, both physical and emotional. Distress and anxiety are an understandable and normal response to finding out about the presence of loose-fill asbestos insulation in homes. This anxiety may be due to concerns about the health impacts of exposure or it may be related to other issues, such as current accommodation or financial concerns.
While most people may find themselves able to adapt in some way to this initial, very real emotional distress and manage their initial response with the support of family and friends, there is obviously a need for extra help and support. That is why the task force has been working closely with the Chief Health Officer, the ACT Medicare Local and ACT Health to ensure that people are provided with up-to-date information about health risks and how to access support services.
Members will be aware that as part of the ACT government’s emergency support package the Chief Minister announced a partnership between the ACT government
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