Page 2964 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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asbestos-related activities through the total facilities management contract with Programmed Facility Management. In 2018-19, to 31 May 2019, there were asbestos-related activities undertaken at 19 public housing properties across the ACT, generally during a bathroom or other wet area upgrade. Activities included testing, removal and disposal as well as air monitoring.
Housing ACT’s asset delivery team routinely undertakes asbestos testing, removal and disposal activities through licensed subcontractors as part of the standard process for preparing existing properties for demolition. As at 4 June 2019, 18 properties were demolished as part of the 2018-19 program that included testing and/or removal of bonded asbestos.
Keeping our staff and community well trained and alert is key to continuing to lift the awareness of the risks of asbestos. To that end, the registered training organisation arm of the Emergency Services Agency, ESA, continues to deliver and award the nationally accredited course in asbestos awareness. This course is delivered under the strict guidance of the Construction Industry Training Council and the ACT Work Safety Commissioner. In the past 12 months approximately 140 people have been trained by ESA. These are predominately ESA members, which include the volunteer services of the Rural Fire Service, the State Emergency Service and the community fire unit.
From 1 July 2019 ACT workers who are likely to encounter materials containing asbestos are now required to complete training on how to handle asbestos safely. This course is in addition to the mandated course in asbestos awareness that came into effect in the ACT on 30 June 2014. Anecdotal evidence in respect of tradespeople accurately identifying and taking appropriate steps in the management of asbestos has shown that these mandated training courses are helping to make Canberra a safer place to work.
Madam Speaker, as you can see from the works outlined, materials containing asbestos are present right across our city. This calls for awareness, active management and appropriate removal. This has seen the production of a large amount of contaminated waste. For the 2018-19 financial year, until May 2019, ACT NoWaste disposed of 36,725 tonnes of soil contaminated with non-friable asbestos contaminated materials—this soil originated from earthworks projects undertaken across the ACT; 6,487 tonnes of asbestos-impacted demolition material from the Mr Fluffy program at the West Belconnen Resource Management Centre, including houses, schools and commercial buildings; 6,358 tonnes from commercial sites; and 4,117 tonnes received from 1 April 2019 from 439 deliveries of asbestos-impacted demolition material from 12 houses, including two trial houses from the Mr Fluffy program at the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre landfill.
It is fair to say that a great deal of asbestos-related work has been undertaken in the territory over the last financial year and I commend all agencies involved in working to protect our residents and workers from the risks posed by asbestos. I present the following paper:
Asbestos related works across Canberra—Ministerial annual statement—Ministerial statement, 15 August 2019.
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