The 2017–18 year has been another significant year of operations for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency with the completion of a number of major projects, the review of the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness 2014–18 and commencing
the development of the second iteration of the national strategic plan.
Through 2017–18, the agency continued to work diligently in building the evidence, practical information and processes to support the objectives of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Act 2013 (ASEA Act) and the goals, deliverables and outcomes in the National Strategic Plan.
I would like to thank agency staff and the members of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council for their hard work and commitment in the successful delivery of the plan over the year.
The key achievements of the agency for 2017–18 include:
- continuing to build a significant body of evidence and research that will provide a solid base to guide the review of the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness 2014–18 and commencing development of the second national strategic plan for 2019 and beyond
- successful delivery of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Summit in November 2017 in Canberra to commence stakeholder engagement in developing the second iteration of the national strategic plan
- working closely with asbestos-related disease organisations through providing secretariat and other assistance to the Asbestos Support Group Network
- international leadership in assisting Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao Peoples Democratic Republic with developing or updating their National Asbestos Profiles and commencing development of roadmaps towards national bans on the production and use of asbestos-containing products. This included visiting those countries in July 2017 to engage directly with government officials and Australian foreign affairs and trade missions.
The Australian Government has continued to express the importance of dealing with the legacy issues relating to asbestos and its impact on the community. I am grateful for the support of the Australian Government and departments, the states, territories and local governments in helping to deliver on the objectives of the ASEA Act and the national strategic plan to reduce the impact of asbestos-related diseases in Australia.
This will be my last year in review for the agency annual report, as I will be retiring in August 2018. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the agency and Australian Government for the appointment over the past five years and allowing me to work on such an important issue.
Peter Tighe
Chief Executive Officer
