ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson has called for the residents of the six asbestos homes in Kambah to be treated just like the victims of Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos in the territory.
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Mr Hanson - who has taken up the homeowners' plight with the ACT government - said the residents should be included, where appropriate, in the measures the ACT government implements for the affected Mr Fluffy residents.
“It’s a real tragedy for the owners of these homes just like it is for the owners of Mr Fluffy homes who now face real concerns about their health and real concerns about their financial future,” he said.
The ACT government has in the past couple of months announced assistance for residents living in Mr Fluffy homes including financial help, counselling, and further asbestos testing.
More than 1000 homes in Canberra and the region were insulated with loose-fill asbestos fluff in the 1970s that was later removed by the federal government.
But the fibres were not able to be completely removed and have been found in the sub-floors and living spaces of a considerable number of the homes this year.
The Chief Minister is expected to make a decision this month about whether the homes should be demolished.
Mr Hanson said some of these measures should be made available to the Kambah residents and if there are going to be solutions for the loose-fill homes then these further six homes should be included.
This includes the possibility of rezoning the blocks.
“I think the Mr Fluffy situation is obviously unique and deserves special attention as do these homes which are essentially made of asbestos,” he said.
An ACT government spokeswoman said the ACT Asbestos Response Taskforce has been established to provide assistance to households affected by Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos.
“The ACT government’s emergency support package that was announced recently is for residents of Mr Fluffy homes only,” she said.
The spokeswoman said licensed asbestos assessors were able to advise homeowners on the type and condition of asbestos in their homes and the ways to manage it and it was the responsibility of individual homeowners to arrange and meet the costs of such services.
She said asbestos was widely used in building materials for residential premises until it started to be phased out in the 1980s.
“That means despite the use of all forms of asbestos being banned nationally since 31 December 2003, building materials containing asbestos are still prevalent in our community today.”
