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.

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.

24 November 2025

As part of a due diligence process for a potential drainage Council project, Council engaged an environmental consultant to undertake some soil classification sampling in the Council Reserve bordered by Jamison Road, Stafford Street and Bringelly Road, Kingswood.

The results from the assessment outlined some asbestos contamination concerns in certain sections of the site. Once notified, Council engaged an independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Contractor to attend the site and establish safety controls. In turn an independent Licensed Asbestos Assessor was engaged to conduct air monitoring in the identified locations. The air monitoring outlined that there is no airborne risk to the community.

Council will continue to work with the Safe Work licensed asbestos companies to assist with the situation. Should there be any changes to the risk to the community in the future this will be communicated to neighbouring residents and via the Council website. In turn, SafeWork NSW will also be notified.
Should you have any questions, please contact Council's Divisional Assurance Team on 4732 7777.

 

14 November 2025

As part of planning works in St Marys, Penrith City Council organised for a consultant to undertake contamination assessment at Lang Park in St Marys.

Unfortunately, the site was found to be contaminated with asbestos and copper.

While this contamination represents a low risk to human health, a conservative management approach has been implemented to ensure a high level of public and staff safety.

Based on the results of the assessment, the site is required to be temporarily fenced off to the public, until a remediation strategy can be developed, and implemented.

Council will work with the relevant stakeholders, including a SafeWork licensed asbestos removalists and an independent SafeWork Licensed Asbestos Assessors to remediated affected areas in the coming months.

These remediation works will be completed in line with all SafeWork NSW's requirements, including the presence of air monitoring to ensure there is no risk to the community.

More information including Frequently asked questions

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