Asbestos

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Penrith City Council (02) 4732 7777 (02) 4732 7958 council@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au 601 High St Penrith NSW 2750 Australia
Asbestos

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used in many building products in Australia from the 1940s to the 1980s. Products containing asbestos were phased out during the 1980s and a national ban on asbestos, its importation and all products containing asbestos came into effect at the end of 2003.

Asbestos fibres can pose a risk to health if they are airborne, as inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body.

Asbestos is common in homes and structures built before 1990 and was commonly used in:

  • cement sheeting (fibro)
  • drainage and flue pipes
  • roofing, guttering and flexible building boards 
  • brakes, clutches and gaskets.

For more information, please visit the Asbestos in NSW website.

Managing asbestos  in Penrith

Penrith City Council treats the discovery of asbestos seriously and has strict procedures in place to protect the safety of residents, the community and our staff. A comprehensive Asbestos Management Framework and Asbestos Policy guide Council’s management of asbestos in Penrith.

What is Council's role?

Council provides several different services in relation to advice, regulation, remediation and management of asbestos, within the City. These services include:

  • assessment and regulation of building and demolition work involving asbestos on private land
  • advice and assessments regarding land contamination matters and remediation proposals on private land
  • investigation and regulation of illegally dumped Asbestos Containing Material on public and private land
  • providing general asbestos information and awareness to the public
  • environmental investigations, clean-up and/or remediation of asbestos contamination on public land (where other authorities such as the RMS are not responsible).

All of Council’s asbestos related matters are managed in-line with SafeWork NSW and NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requirements. This includes the use of appropriately trained staff, licenced asbestos removal contractors and licenced asbestos assessors.

Asbestos at your property

If your home was built before 1990, it’s likely to contain asbestos. If your house is in good condition and you’re not planning on renovating, then you may not need to do anything. Asbestos materials that are in good condition are unlikely to release asbestos fibres if left undisturbed.

If your home is damaged or you are thinking about renovating it is important for homeowners and tradespeople to be aware of how to safely manage asbestos in and around the home. For information on what to look for and how to safely manage asbestos in the home visit Asbestos Awareness website.

In most cases, a licensed asbestos professional is the best person to identify, remove and dispose of asbestos safely. You can find a list of licensed asbestos assessors on the Safe Work NSW website.

Please note that SafeWork NSW is responsible for regulating contractors and workers engaged to remove asbestos materials on private properties, and asbestos in a workplace. If you are concerned about how asbestos is being removed or handled by a business or removalist, SafeWork can be contacted on 13 10 50.

Disposing of household asbestos

Council recommends residents use a licensed asbestos professional to identify, remove and dispose of household asbestos safely. You can find a list of licensed asbestos assessors on the Safe Work NSW website.

Household asbestos can only be disposed of at a landfill that’s licensed to accept it. Contact your nearest landfill site to confirm they accept asbestos and ask about disposal processes. To find nearby facilities that accept household asbestos, visit the EPA website.

Illegal dumping of asbestos

Illegal dumping of asbestos can damage the environment and threaten human health, it can also lead to serious regulatory actions including fines and imprisonment. You can report illegal dumping at any time by visiting ridonline.epa.nsw.gov.au and providing details on the location and type of waste dumped.

Asbestos on public land/Council facilities

A large portion of Council’s asbestos related work in the community is the investigation and remediation of asbestos contamination on public land.

What happens when asbestos is found?

Council’s Divisional Assurance Team follows strict procedures which are in line with Council’s stringent Asbestos Management Framework, and regulations set by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and SafeWork NSW.

These procedures include (but are not limited to) removing asbestos risks, implementing suitable controls, conducting air monitoring, undertaking clearance inspections (in accordance with SafeWork NSW Code of Practice) and conducting detailed environmental investigations where more complex situations arise.

As part of this process, Council engages licensed asbestos contractors, licensed asbestos assessors, consultants, and NSW Hazmat units to ensure that all SafeWork NSW and EPA requirements are met.

How to report suspected asbestos

Council welcomes the assistance of our community to help Council minimise potential asbestos hazards on public land and in community facilities. Please notify Council if you suspect asbestos containing material on public land and in community facilities (not private property). You can notify us in several ways:

  • 4732 7777

Investigations and remediations

The following information relates to specific sites that are subject to current environmental investigations and remediation projects underway in the city. To find out more about the process for investigations and remediation, please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For further information on current environmental investigations and remediation projects in our City, contact Council’s Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 8647.

16 May 2024

Due to suspected historical landfilling and dumping at this location, Council is conducting a Detailed Site Investigation to determine the contamination status of the site. As part of the soil assessment, Penrith City Council has engaged a suitably qualified consultant to undertake environmental investigations in the area outlined below (Figure 1).

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Figure 1: Map identifying the areas requiring investigation at 1042 The Northern Road, Llandilo.

Weather permitting, the work will commence on Thursday 23 May 2024, and will take approximately two days to complete.

To ensure public safety, the following safety measures will be implemented:

• All SafeWork NSW and Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requirements will be followed.
• Appropriate signage and access restrictions will be placed on the site, where required.
• Air monitoring will be undertaken to ensure neighbourhood safety.

During the soil assessment works, you may notice the consultants wearing coveralls and PPE. This is a precautionary requirement in case the consultants come across any asbestos, or other contamination, during their investigations.

Further updates as well as a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available on Penrith City Council’s website, which can be viewed at https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/waste- environment/environment/asbestos

Penrith City Council takes every asbestos incident seriously. The safety of residents, the community and our staff is our number one priority.

Thank you for your understanding. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 4732 7777.

08 August 2024

Council have spent the last few days reviewing available information and data and speaking with the consultants and the licensed asbestos assessor to determine the next steps in terms of managing the asbestos concerns at the site.

It has been determined for the safety of the community, that the site is to remain closed off to the public until suitable remediation action can be taken.

Importantly, on going air monitoring conducted around the site has outlined that there is no airborne asbestos risks from the site.

More information including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on Council’s website: https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/images/waste-environment/environment/frequently_asked_questions_asbestos.pdf

Should you have any questions, please contact Council's Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

06 August 2024

On Tuesday 6 August 2024, Council was notified of potential asbestos containing material located in Kokoda Park, 21 Carinya Ave, St Marys. Once notified, Council engaged an independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessor to attend the site and undertake an assessment. In turn, a SafeWork licensed asbestos removalist was engaged to undertake an assessment of the site and remove the potential asbestos material. Based on the results of the assessment, the site is required to be temporarily fenced off to the public.

As part of this, we ask all members of the public to not access the this fenced off area. Council will now work with the relevant contractors, including a SafeWork licensed asbestos removalist and an independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessor to remove material from the affected areas. This will be completed in line with all SafeWork NSW's requirements, this will include the presence of air monitoring to ensure there is no risk to the community. Once the material has been removed, a Clearance Certificate will be issued by the independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessor, which will outline the site is safe for use by the community.

More information including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on Council’s website: https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/waste-environment/environment/asbestos. Should you have any questions, please contact Council's Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

9 October 2024

On Friday 4 October 2024 Council received the results of the Asbestos Assessment undertaken on the land in front of Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School.

Council will review the data and determine the next steps in terms of managing the asbestos concerns at the site. It has been determined for the safety of the community, the area must remain closed off to the public until suitable action can be taken.

As part of the assessment process, air monitoring was also undertaken and completed in accordance with relevant NSW WHS Legislation and approved Codes of Practice.

More information including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on Council’s website: Asbestos - Penrith City Council (nsw.gov.au) Should you have any questions, please contact Council’s Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

27 August 2024

On Tuesday 27 August 2024, Council was notified of potential non-friable asbestos containing material located on a vacant lot in front of Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School. Once notified, Council engaged a SafeWork licensed asbestos removalist to undertake an assessment of the site and remove the potential asbestos material. In addition, Council has engaged an independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessor to attend the site and undertake an assessment and issue a Clearance Certificate.

The area will need to be temporarily fenced off to allow for further assessment. During this time, we ask all members of the public to not access the this fenced off area.

More information including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on Council’s website: https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/waste-environment/environment/asbestos. Should you have any questions, please contact Council's Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

23 September 2024

Council was recently made aware of potential non-friable asbestos containing material located on a vacant lot in front of Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School. Once notified, Council engaged independent SafeWork Licensed contractors to remove the material and provide a Clearance Certificate for the ground surface.
Since this time Council has conducted a historical assessment of the site and established that the site contained several structures up until the early 1970s. Due to the previous development on the site, a sub-surface asbestos assessment is required to detect any possible contamination underground. This assessment will involve a SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessor undertaking soil samples with a small excavator. This assessment has been arranged to commence on Monday, 30 September 2024. The assessment is estimated to take three days, subject to weather conditions.

The area will remain fenced off until it is deemed safe for public use. During this time, we ask all members of the public to not access the fenced off area.
More information, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found on Council’s website: https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/wasteenvironment/environment/asbestos
Should you have any questions, please contact Council's Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

 

Asbestos awareness resources

The following videos provide general asbestos safety information, including specific information relating to some common Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM).

Further Information