Around 4,000 Australians die each year from asbestos-related diseases, more than twice the annual national toll from road accidents, and the number continues to rise. Ahead of National Asbestos Awareness Month in November, the Asbestos Education Committee and Advocacy Australia have underlined the need for more awareness among the Australian public about the health risks of asbestos exposure within their own homes.

Led by the Asbestos Education Committee, the multi-award-winning annual awareness campaign aims to educate Australians about the risks of legacy asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) used in homes built before 1990. The campaign provides free tools and resources at asbestosawareness.com.au to help homeowners and tradespeople safely identify and manage asbestos, which is present in one in three Australian homes.

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While stable and sealed ACMs may pose no risk, disturbing them during demolition, renovation or maintenance could release microscopic asbestos fibres that – if inhaled – may cause fatal diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis as well as ovarian and laryngeal cancers and increased risk of breast, stomach and colon cancers.

“Homeowners, renovators and tradies who fail to manage ACMs safely, not only risk exposing themselves to the deadly microscopic fibres, but can expose family members, children and neighbours,” warns Cherie Barber, Australia’s Renovation Queen™ and an Asbestos Awareness Ambassador for 12 years.

“There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres, but there are tools and rules homeowners and tradies should follow to ensure ACMs are managed safely to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

According to Barber, asbestos isn't limited to fibro homes; it was used in over 3,000 building and decorator products across all home types built before 1990, lurking under carpets and tiles, and in walls, roofs, cement floors, fences, and even sheds and other outdoor structures.

“It was used everywhere,” she says.

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New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Safe Work Australia confirms rising mesothelioma rates over the past four decades, with more than 9 in 10 people diagnosed with mesothelioma having a history of possible or probable exposure to asbestos. The study reveals that 94% of surveyed patients reported non-occupational exposure, mostly from home renovations, residing in a fibro home, or living with someone exposed to asbestos dust at work.

According to Clare Collins, Chair of the Asbestos Education Committee and campaign director since 2011, as one of the highest consumers of ACMs, Australia continues to record one of the highest incidences of mesothelioma in the world, even 22 years after the national ban on asbestos came into force.

“Tragic cases of relatively young people being diagnosed with mesothelioma continue to be recorded because of exposure to fibres as children when their parents built homes using ACMs unaware of the risks,” she says.

“With the Australian Government’s First Home Guarantee Scheme expanding from 1 October 2025, considering property price caps, if young first homebuyers who are oblivious to asbestos risks purchase an older home requiring renovation, it’s vital they learn about asbestos risks and how to manage ACMs safely,” she adds.

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Urging all renovators and homeowners to get professional advice, Barber advises that such homes should be inspected by a licenced asbestos assessor or occupational hygienist to identify potential hazards and they should only use licenced asbestos removalists, and never attempt to remove asbestos themselves, “because the cost to homeowners, tradies and their families could be far greater if they’re exposed to the deadly fibres”.

“The message we want homeowners and tradies to hear is what not to do with asbestos! Don’t cut it! Don’t drill it! Don’t drop it! Don’t sand it! Don’t saw it! Don’t scrape it! Don’t scrub it! Don’t dismantle it! Don’t tip it! Don’t waterblast it! Don’t demolish it! Don’t dump it! And whatever they do... they should never remove it themselves!”

Reference:

Mesothelioma in Australia 2025 (29 August 2025): https://mesothelioma-australia.com/publications-and-data/publications

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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