An estimated 30,000 Canberrans are expected to learn they might have been exposed to Mr Fluffy asbestos as either former owners or renters of the 1021 homes confirmed to contain the toxic insulation.
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Next week, the ACT government plans to make public the addresses of these homes. Demographic calculations have been used to estimate the total number of Canberrans who have lived in them over the past 50 years.
The ACT Asbestos Response Taskforce is working to ensure former owners, tenants, tradespeople and care workers will have information and support available as this information is released for the first time. Support will also be provided for current or immediate former homeowners, acknowledging that, while foreshadowed since 2014, the release of the list will be confronting for many.
As part of its support, the taskforce will provide an e-register in which anyone with a connection to a known address can record details. This will support the provision of targeted information and future communication from the taskforce, as well as broader community education. It will also provide a snapshot of the number of people who have lived in, or worked in or on, the houses over time.
The e-register will also encourage former residents of the houses to register their interest to take part in the longitudinal health study on Mr Fluffy being undertaken by the Australian National University.
The study, announced in February, will provide information on domestic exposure to loose-fill asbestos in the ACT and on the health concerns of current and recent residents of Mr Fluffy houses. It will also report on rates of mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure, in the ACT, and if data allows it, provide estimates of the risk of mesothelioma and other cancers associated with living in an affected residence.
In another milestone, Thursday marks a year since former chief minister Katy Gallagher appointed the Asbestos Response Taskforce, headed by Andrew Kefford, to deal with the rapidly escalating insulation crisis.
By October last year, the ACT government announced it would buy back and demolish all affected homes, using a $1 billion loan from the Commonwealth.
Mr Kefford said the taskforce recognised it had been an immensely difficult and emotional year for affected homeowners.
"We continue our support for homeowners, even those that have now moved through the program and are residing in other properties," he said. "While our work will continue to broaden as we embark on the demolition program of affected properties next month, and work to support our community when the list is released, we will also work with homeowners around both of these, knowing that it will have an impact on them also. I continue to encourage owners to continue to work with us for information and support."
To date, the taskforce has made offers on 575 homes worth $647million. Prices paid to buy the homes range from $361,000 to $3 million.
Meanwhile, 848 offers of purchase have been accepted by homeowners.
A further 578 relocation grants paid to support owners move to safer accommodation have cost $7.2 million.
A stamp-duty concession has been taken up by 363 owners buying other property in the ACT, amounting to $8.6 million in stamp-duty waivers.
Currently, just over 4000 residents are thought to be directly affected by the crisis, having to leave their homes in order for them to be demolished.
The taskforce has estimated the total number of people affected by the impending demolitions will exceed 12,000 – given that each Mr Fluffy home will be directly opposite, adjacent to, neighbouring or backing on to a further 12 homes.
Some suburban streets will be significantly affected with 292 contaminated houses being in clusters of two or more. The demolition program is expected to take four years.
The total population of the 56 suburbs with affected houses equals 127,000.
With the deadline of June 30 to opt into the voluntary buyback program nearing,1001 homeowners have now joined, but they may extend the terms of settlement – in some cases, up to June 30, 2020 – as long as they have asbestos management plans in place.
The taskforce website has received 65,610 page views from 7840 users. In addition, the taskforce has attended eight community council meetings, held six senior homeowner morning teas and seven community and homeowner forums. A further 13 meetings of the Community and Expert Reference Group have been held.
The next community forums include one on waste management at west Belconnen on June 29 and two on the demolition program on July 2 and 7.
