Image: Alpha.
It’s a risky job that no-one wants to do, but somebody has to perform it in order to maintain public health.
It’s the task of asbestos removal, which has been a significant pain point for Queensland councils due to a lack of resources to carry it out, which is why on 16th July 2015, the Palaszczuk government created a new asbestos repair fund.
The fund is valued at $400,000 a year to carry out urgent clean-up works at hazardous properties, which pose a grave risk to people because of the sticky asbestos fibres that can hook into the inner labyrinth of the lungs when inhaled and consequently impede a person’s ability to breathe.
The new funding from the state government has come as a result of persistent lobbying from the local government sector for the last two years to help councils become better equipped to deal with hazardous asbestos removal.
Councils in Queensland protested that since they were given the responsibility to respond to asbestos complaints in non-workplace areas under the Public Health Act 2005, they have struggled to carry out these duties.
Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations Curtis Pitt said councils have been referring these matters to Queensland Health for a response, contending they were not appropriately insured and lacked the necessary resources and skills for this work.
“We need to ensure urgent asbestos removal can be carried out at short notice where’s it’s clearly in the interests of public safety,” Mr Pitt said.
He said the fund is the final piece requested by councils to enable them to respond to asbestos matters under the Public Health Act, including ongoing training for council staff on asbestos; introducing a legislative indemnity for council staff responding to asbestos complaints; and consideration of a clean-up fund to allow councils to be reimbursed, over a threshold, for asbestos clean-up costs where the responsible person cannot be pursued.
According to Mr Pitt, councils, Queensland Health and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland can seek recovery of asbestos incident clean-up costs within the scope of the scheme.
Councils in Queensland have welcomed the new fund, with Local Government Association of Queensland President Margaret de Wit saying that she is pleased to see that, as a result of this collaboration and LGAQ advocacy, positive results have been achieved.
“Since the move to make councils responsible for the enforcement and administration of domestic asbestos matters, the LGAQ has pushed for a state indemnity to protect councils legally, comprehensive training of council officers and the creation of a standalone clean-up fund,” Ms de Wit said.
She said the funds announcement meant all three reforms had now been achieved.
Ms de Wit was elated that the government has decided to ensure recurrent funding for each year, meaning that concerns about its sustainability have been resolved.
“I am also grateful for the cooperation shown by state government agencies, with the previous Newman government putting in place the training councils needed and the indemnity and now the Palaszczuk Government establishing the clean-up fund,” she said.
According to the LGAQ, the Association and successive governments have worked to develop a collaborative approach to asbestos management and regulation.
Nearly 400 local government officers have been trained on council responsibilities regarding asbestos complaints since October 2014, according to the LGAQ.
