November 19, 2020

November is Asbestos Awareness Month and Gunnedah Shire Council is reminding residents to keep safety front of mind when dealing with asbestos.

The national campaign is aimed at alerting home renovators and tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and provides information about safe management and disposal.

Gunnedah Shire Council Waste Manager Sheridan Cameron said it is likely homes built or renovated before 1987 contain asbestos in some form or another.

“If undisturbed and in a stable, sealed condition, asbestos is unlikely to pose health risks. However, the risk of inhaling asbestos fibres can occur during maintenance, removal, refurbishment or demolition of asbestos-containing materials,” Mrs Cameron said.

“Anyone embarking on home renovations should complete an asbestos safety check prior to commencing work and may need to engage a licenced removalist.

 “It can often be difficult to identify the presence of asbestos by sight. Where a material cannot be identified, it’s best to assume asbestos materials are present and take every precaution.

“Gunnedah Shire Council has an Asbestos Management Policy that sets out the roles and responsibilities of Council in managing asbestos.

“If you need to dispose of asbestos at the Gunnedah Waste Management Facility, you must first arrange a booking by calling (02) 6742 3943. Anyone transporting and disposing of 100kg of asbestos waste in NSW must use the Waste Locate tracking system and have a valid consignment number.”

For further information and to view Gunnedah Shire Council’s Asbestos Management Policy visit https://www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/index.php/environment/public-environmental-health/asbestos.

ENDS

Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.