Clear, plain-English answers to the questions Hobart property owners ask most. If your question isn't here, call us and we'll help you work out the next step.
You can't tell by looking at it. The only way to confirm asbestos is to have a sample tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory, ideally collected by a competent person. Until it's tested, treat any suspect material as if it contains asbestos.
No. Photos help a professional understand the size, location and condition of a material, but they can't confirm asbestos. Only take photos from a safe distance without touching or disturbing the material.
WorkSafe Tasmania advises that if a house, garage, shed or commercial building was built or renovated before the 1990s, it probably contains some form of asbestos. Asbestos was banned nationally from 31 December 2003.
Fibro wall and ceiling sheets, eaves, corrugated roofing, fences, wet-area linings behind tiles, vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring, textured ceilings, pipe lagging, old heaters, flues and hot water units, electrical meter boards, garage and shed linings, and window putty.
Asbestos in good condition that isn't being disturbed generally poses a low risk. The danger comes when it's broken, cut, drilled, sanded, weathered or damaged. If you have no plans to disturb it, removal may not be urgent, but get professional advice before any renovation or repair work.
Friable asbestos can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry and releases fibres easily. Non-friable (bonded) asbestos is mixed with a binder such as cement and is more stable while in good condition. Bonded asbestos can become friable if it's badly weathered, fire-damaged or broken up.
Don't pressure-clean it. Tasmanian Work Health and Safety laws prohibit using high-pressure water spray or compressed air on asbestos, and restrict the use of power tools such as grinders, saws and sanders, because these release fibres. Water-blasting spreads contaminated slurry across your property and your neighbours'. Get professional advice before painting or sealing an asbestos roof.
Stop work, keep people and pets away, and don't sweep, vacuum, hose or try to clean it up. If it's indoors, turn off air conditioning and fans. Call 000 if there's immediate danger, or the Tasmania SES on 132 500 for emergency storm help. Then get advice from a licensed asbestos professional.
In Tasmania, a Class A asbestos removal licence is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos. A Class A or Class B licence is required to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos.
In Tasmania, less than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos can be removed without a licence, but the work must follow the How to Safely Remove Asbestos code of practice. Anything larger, and any friable asbestos, must be removed by a licensed removalist. Even for small jobs, WorkSafe Tasmania recommends getting professional advice first. Keep in mind that 10 square metres is smaller than it sounds, about the size of a few metres of standard fencing. This website doesn't provide DIY removal instructions.
Ask for their licence details and check them using WorkSafe Tasmania's online search for licensed asbestos removalists. Any reputable removalist will be happy for you to check.
Before starting licensed asbestos removal work, the removalist must lodge a notification (form AR1) with WorkSafe Tasmania at least five days in advance. Where immediate removal is needed, for example after damage or an emergency, there's a separate process: WorkSafe is notified by phone straight away and the form follows within 24 hours.
It depends on the type of asbestos, where it is, how much there is and the safety controls being used. For many outdoor jobs, you'll only need to stay away from the work area. Indoor or friable removal may require part or all of the property to be vacated. Ask the removalist to explain any restrictions before work begins.
Every job is different. The main factors are the type of asbestos (friable removal costs more), the amount, where it is, access, whether it's damaged, the safety controls needed, disposal fees, any testing or air monitoring, whether clearance is required, and travel for rural locations.
Always ask for a written scope. It should state what's being removed, the licence class, safety controls, how waste will be packaged, transported and disposed of, access requirements, the timeframe, exclusions, whether clearance is included, and the total price or how it's calculated.
A clearance certificate confirms an area is safe to reoccupy after asbestos removal. After licensed removal, the area must pass a clearance inspection before it's used again. For friable (Class A) removal, a licensed asbestos assessor must carry out the clearance inspection and issue the clearance certificate. For bonded (Class B) removal, clearance is done by a competent person. You should receive a written clearance certificate. Ask who will issue it and whether it's included in your quote, and keep it for your records.
The City of Hobart accepts residential asbestos at the McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre (The Tip), McRobies Road, South Hobart. Council's waste guide limits asbestos to 25 kilograms per customer, and it must be covered in two layers of thick black builders' plastic or approved asbestos bags and taped so no particles can escape. McRobies Gully does not accept commercial asbestos loads. Your removalist should explain and document the disposal pathway for your job.
No. Asbestos must never go in household bins, recycling, general skip bins or kerbside collections, and must never be dumped. Illegal disposal carries significant penalties, and mixing asbestos with other waste can make disposal much more expensive.
Don't touch or disturb it, and tell your landlord or property manager in writing as soon as possible. Damage that makes a property unsafe may count as an urgent repair under Tasmania's Residential Tenancy Act. Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) can explain your rights and your landlord's responsibilities.
It's a sensible step. A pre-purchase building inspection may note suspected asbestos, and a specialist asbestos inspection can give you more detail before you commit.
In Tasmania, neighbours are generally equally responsible for a sufficient boundary fence under the Boundary Fences Act 1908, but you need to serve a notice in the prescribed form before work starts if you want them to contribute. How asbestos removal costs are split depends on the circumstances, so agree with your neighbour in writing before work starts.
If a business, builder or tradesperson is disturbing asbestos unsafely, contact WorkSafe Tasmania on 1300 366 322. For a neighbour doing their own work at home, contact your local council's environmental health team. Illegal dumping can be reported to EPA Tasmania or your council.
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