Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week we have seen the last resident of the infamous asbestos-riddled WA town of Wittenoom move out. This closes the door on what has been a very dark chapter of Western Australian history, affecting the local native title holder First Nations communities profoundly with the disease it has brought, along with thousands of workers who worked there over the time of the company—some 7,000 workers—and some 12,000 people that lived there.

But it's not the end of the issue of asbestos disease. Every day more and more Australian families are affected by asbestosis, silicosis and mesothelioma. It still riddles many buildings around Australia and we need to work harder than ever to prevent exposure and raise awareness not just here but also overseas. I want to pay tribute to and celebrate the work of APHEDA—Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad—who are working with communities and unions to address this issue in Indonesia. In Indonesia they still import asbestos and are still building buildings with it.

We need to continue to raise awareness of this issue and ensure strong accountabilities here in Australia but also support our neighbouring nation of Indonesia to get rid of this scourge. In Indonesia the health toll from the scourge of asbestos is significantly growing—a massive disease burden now on their nation. It was National Mesothelioma Awareness Day on 26 September, and I pay tribute to the Asbestos Diseases Society— (Time expired)