ASSEA continues to support governments in the implementation of the ANSP through our research, awareness raising and data collection activities.
These resources have been developed to assist governments implement specific actions in the ANSP 2024-2030 and include research findings, policy options and recommendations to improve asbestos awareness, identification, removal and disposal.
Options for government supported incentives for proactive asbestos removal
A key objective of the Asbestos National Strategic Plan 2024–30 (ANSP) is to eliminate asbestos-related disease by increasing the rate of safe, legal asbestos removal from the built environment. The ANSP notes that asbestos materials are ageing and degrading, increasing the risk that harmful fibres are released. It includes an action for governments to develop incentives that encourage the safe removal of ACMs from residential and commercial properties.
To support the implementation of this action, ASSEA researched various types of incentive schemes used in Australia and overseas, considered their advantages and disadvantages and how they could be used to encourage proactive asbestos removal.
The information provided in this report aims to help governments plan and develop specific incentives or leverage existing programs to encourage proactive asbestos removal, subject to conducting their own risk assessments, stakeholder consultation and cost-benefit analyses. The report acknowledges that asbestos removal incentive schemes carry risks of causing further harm or creating unintended consequences if they are not designed and implemented effectively, e.g., higher removal costs or removal being carried out unsafely.
Behavioural insights research to test financial incentives
To further support the design and implementation of incentive schemes, ASSEA partnered with the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) to explore which financial incentives and amounts would encourage homeowners to proactively remove asbestos from their properties. The findings from BETA’s research is available here.
Unlicensed asbestos removal
Asbestos removal occurs in residential, commercial and public buildings and is carried out by workers in a workplace context, as well as by non-workers, for example homeowners when undertaking DIY renovations.
There are ongoing calls to prohibit unlicensed asbestos removal due to concerns about misuse of the 10m2 exception under work health and safety (WHS) laws leading to asbestos exposure risks.
This report examines the advantages and disadvantages of completely removing the 10m2 exception, noting that this would not address situations where WHS laws do not apply, for example when a homeowner decides to remove asbestos themselves. It identifies a range of policy options to enhance WHS, public health and environment protection laws to address concerns associated with unlicensed asbestos removal. This includes explicitly clarifying that public health laws do apply to asbestos as it can cause harm to public health and to include more specific control measures like Queensland’s Public Health Regulation 2005.
Asbestos waste data
Australia’s ageing asbestos legacy is a significant waste management challenge, especially as the only current lawful option is disposal in landfill, of which available space is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.
Asbestos waste data estimates for Australia are updated as part of national hazardous waste reporting to the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
State and territory governments capture asbestos waste disposal data from their tracking systems for hazardous waste and/or reports from licensed landfill operators. Data was provided by these governments for 2023-24 and for previous years from 2006-07. In total, over this time, approximately 16 million tonnes of asbestos containing waste has been disposed of in Australia.
The Asbestos waste data in Australia – 2023-24 Annual Update infographic provides the most recent data summary.
This year data quality has further improved, progressing to a more accurate national picture of the quantity of asbestos waste. This is because most states and territories can now report quantities of wrapped asbestos-containing material (ACM, such as asbestos cement sheets) separately from waste contaminated with ACM (such as soil and rubble).
ASSEA encourages states and territories to report wrapped ACM separately from soil and rubble contaminated with ACM to enable further progress towards harmonised national asbestos waste recording methods.
Illegal disposal of asbestos – guidance for local governments
The illegal disposal of asbestos waste is a significant issue for many councils in Australia. Resources have been developed to assist local governments manage asbestos exposure risks caused by illegal asbestos disposal, including best practice examples of what councils are already doing.
Asbestos stocks and flows
In 2021, the 2015 Australian Stocks and Flows Model for Asbestos was updated to reflect new information from literature and industry experts. The Asbestos stocks and flows estimates in Australia 2021 infographic provides a summary.
The updated model allows for improved annual estimates on:
- Stocks: the amount of legacy asbestos remaining in the built environment.
- Flows: the quantities of ACMs reaching the end of their productive life, and becoming waste, or are in disuse.
The national model provides best estimate results to enable examination of asbestos stocks and flows, now and into the future.
Asbestos fibres in drinking water
ASSEA partnered with Deakin University to investigate the levels of asbestos fibres in drinking water that has passed through asbestos-cement (AC) pipes.
A 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) report Asbestos in drinking water: Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality found that there is no risk to human health from the consumption of asbestos fibres in water. However, the WHO recommended ‘to try to minimise the concentrations of asbestos fibres in drinking water as far as practical’.
The aim of this project was to evaluate the levels of asbestos fibres in drinking water supplied through AC pipes, while gathering data and information on factors that may influence the levels of asbestos fibres in water.
Asbestos fibres were not detected in any of the water samples.
The Factsheet - Asbestos fibres in water 2025 below provides a full summary of this project.
