NATIONAL ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:12): I rise today to speak about the National Asbestos Management Review and to speak in favour of the recommendations which resulted from that process. I am sure that all of us here today are aware just how cruel a killer asbestos can be. It only takes one fibre to set in motion a terrible and, in most cases, fatal disease: mesothelioma is incurable and invariably fatal. Other asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis and lung cancer, also have very high mortality rates.

These diseases cause terrible suffering for those who endure them and those close to them. The fact that asbestos had a wide variety of uses in Australia for much of the second half of last century means that most of our population has come into contact with it in one form or another. From insulation and floor coverings to its many uses as part of fibro sheeting, including roofing and fencing, asbestos was a pervasive material in housing and other construction in Australia until the mid-1980s. Also common in water pipes, fire blankets and car parts, such as clutches, gaskets and brake linings, asbestos-containing materials were only banned in this country from the end of 2003.

Sadly, the typical lag of 20 to 40 years between exposure and the onset of symptoms of disease can make detection, prevention and risk management for asbestos-related health risks very difficult. It is estimated that the peak of the epidemic of asbestos-related disease in Australia will not occur until the mid-2020s, and Australia has one of the highest rates of it in the world. This is despite measures taken to date in asbestos management and despite efforts to limit the exposure of the general population.

Having worked in the field of occupational health and safety for many years, asbestos management is a topic of grave concern to me; it is vital that we get it right. To date, the management of asbestos has been fragmented among all levels of government. The way it is regulated across these bodies varies widely and there are differing levels of success. It has become clear through this experience that Australia needs to take a national approach to putting an end to this scourge.

To this end, the Australian government established the Asbestos Management Review in 2010, appointing Mr Geoff Fary as chairman. Mr Fary was asked to make recommendations for the development of a national strategic plan to improve asbestos management and awareness. As the Asbestos Management Review, reported in June 2012, states that the aim of such a national plan should be 'to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres in order to eliminate asbestos-related disease in Australia.'

The review concluded that the priority areas for such a national plan should be improved asbestos identification, management, transport, storage and disposal, awareness, education and information sharing. On top of these priority areas, the review recommended that the federal government support and legislate for the establishment of a new national agency to oversee the implementation, review, refinement and further development of the national plan. Among other things, an agency should:

...have the expertise and authority to coordinate activities across all tiers of government, affecting multiple portfolios such as health, safety, environment and education.

It is proposed that the agency's governing board would include an independent chairperson and a medical expert, as well as having representation from all Australian governments, including local government and national peak bodies. A further recommendation is to provide sufficient funding for collaborative national research in preventing and curing asbestos-related disease, particularly mesothelioma.

It is important and sobering to note that, while Australia has a ban on the production and trade in asbestos and products which contain it, there are also countries which still allow the mining, production and use of asbestos. The report also addresses Australia's international obligations to continuing to lead a global campaign for the worldwide asbestos ban.

In the wake of the review, I am pleased to note that the Office of Asbestos Safety has been established with the task of developing a national strategic plan by 1 July this year. I welcome this development and look forward to the release of the plan which will be based on the review's recommendations.