Applications in ACT to find those touched by asbestos
ACT tenants and homeowners can now apply to find out if they have lived in a home contaminated by asbestos fibres.
It comes after revelations that more than 1,000 Canberra households contain potentially-deadly asbestos insulation, which was pumped into roof spaces in loose form by companies such as Mr Fluffy throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
The Mr Fluffy scandal has struck fear into residents throughout the ATC and parts of NSW, where the loose-fill technique was used too.
Despite an ongoing Commonwealth-funded clean-up program, asbestos fibres continue to be found in living areas and wardrobes of houses, forcing at least 31 families to move out as a precaution.
But those who suspect they may have lived in a contaminated ACT house can now lodge an application with the Environment and Planning Directorate to find out.
However, the ACT Government will not publically release the known locations of all Mr Fluffy houses, claiming privacy concerns prevent it.
ACT Asbestos Response Taskforce chief Andrew Kefford has told the ABC that residents need to prove their connection to the address by providing a rates notice or bill.
“Essentially the process involves approaching ACTPLA and filling in the necessary forms and providing the connection to the property,” he said.
“Then it's a relatively straight forward process for ACTPLA to review the building file and say yes this property was on the list of properties, or no it wasn’t.”