House debates

Monday, 2 December 2019

Private Members' Business

National Asbestos Awareness Week

4:50 pm

Photo of Celia HammondCelia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I thank the member for Adelaide for moving this important motion. I would like to acknowledge Asbestos Awareness Week, which was held between 25 November and 1 December.

Australia's history with asbestos, from mining to manufacturing to its use in building homes and public buildings, has left a deadly legacy which will continue to need coordinated action across all levels of government and non-government organisations for decades to come. It is our history with asbestos and its continued impact on our lives that have led us to being a world leader in asbestos safety and management and to our work as a global leader in advocating for a global asbestos ban.

In 2003 the Howard government banned all products containing asbestos throughout Australia, yet in Australia the incidence of mesothelioma is still one of the highest in the world today, with approximately 4,000 Australians dying each year from asbestos exposure. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency was established in 2013 to coordinate, monitor and report on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management. ASEA plays a critical role in driving national action on asbestos management and safety. That is why the government have doubled the funding of the agency. Our strict stance on the ban on the use of asbestos was reinforced when we introduced tougher penalties for illegal importation of asbestos earlier this year. We are one of the only countries in the world with a dedicated asbestos specialist agency.

On that note, and to coincide with National Asbestos Awareness Week, the government tabled a review of the roles and functions of the agency. The review found that ASEA:

… has been successful in providing a strong national and international focus on asbestos issues by bringing together stakeholders, sharing information, encouraging collaboration and building knowledge and capability.

The review recommended that the government continue and broaden ASEA's activities in recognition of this valuable work. The government accepted all recommendations of the review in principle, and the Attorney-General has asked his department to consult with key stakeholders and develop options for their implementation to help ASEA continue its important work.

Dealing with Australia's harmful asbestos legacy requires nationwide action undertaken in a coordinated and systematic way. In this context, I recently represented the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations to officially launch the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management for 2019 to 2023 at the annual asbestos safety conference, organised by ASEA in Perth. This plan has been developed by the agency and has received support from state and territory governments. The aim of the plan is to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres in order to eliminate asbestos related disease in Australia. Crucial to achieving this aim is cooperation between the various players involved in asbestos management, including there being effective collaboration between government and non-government organisations. This includes local government and non-government organisations like asbestos disease support groups, employer associations, unions and medical research groups. It is essential that we utilise the skills, knowledge and experience of all of these bodies to ensure that the plan is successfully implemented.

Australia's history with asbestos has left a harmful legacy, and we know this all too well in my home state of Western Australia. Many thousands of lives have been lost as a result of the blue asbestos mining at Wittenoom. There are also the ever-present asbestos-containing building materials that were used for housing and fencing across our suburbs over many decades. Given the sheer scale of past asbestos use, not just in WA but across Australia, it is a sad reality that arrangements to safely manage asbestos will be required for decades to come.

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