Page 3187 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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… these buildings will require significant further expenditure to make crisis accommodation work within that space and risk of use will remain high.
They went to say:
Furthermore, asbestos related contamination remains a real possibility on this project and will require further expenditure to manage this issue.
While Ms Le Couteur in the debate on the CMTEDD part of the budget chose to quote selectively from the report to give the impression that it would easily have been made safe for an alternative short-term use it is clear that the demolition of the remaining buildings on the site delivers the best outcome in terms of cost to the territory and addressing asbestos risks.
The urban renewal team knows something about the risks of asbestos, as the asbestos response task force sits within this area of EPSDD. The task force has made significant progress to realise the ACT government’s goal of eradicating loose-fill asbestos insulation from Canberra’s suburbs. The focus in 2018-19 has been on continued support for owners of remaining affected properties as they consider their options both within the scheme and privately; progressing the remaining properties, including complex properties, through demolition; and delivery of an effective sales program.
As at 30 June 2019, 966 properties—952 affected and 14 impacted—have been purchased under the scheme, at a total cost of $692.5 million. Nine hundred and seventy nine properties—973 affected and six impacted—had been demolished through the scheme or privately. Nine hundred and sixty-six properties had been removed from the affected residential premises register, and 852 blocks had been sold for a total value of $560.1 million; and 1,098 relocation assistance grants had been paid, to the value of $12.3 million.
The ACT has developed some of the most experienced and expert public servants, tradespeople and assessors when it comes to understanding and dealing with asbestos. We know that decades after the extensive use of asbestos in the building industry ceased there is still much to be done to manage the risks and maintain public awareness. We will continue to support the thousands of Canberrans affected by the Mr Fluffy tragedy, including home owners, their families, and the wider community, and the asbestos response task force will continue to work with the community throughout 2019-20 to achieve the end goal of a community free of Mr Fluffy.
I commend the urban renewal expenditure in the budget and the bill as a whole to the Assembly.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (3.58): Thank you for the opportunity to outline the budget allocation for my planning, land management, environment and heritage portfolios over the next four years. This investment will help deliver a
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