Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been asked to step in to deal with an asbestos crisis in Canberra that has been likened to a natural disaster.
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The push for the federal government to take responsibility for the territory's Mr Fluffy asbestos legacy has reached the highest level of political office after Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann asked Mr Abbott to meet with her and a victim.
Other requests for meetings on the issue have been sent to two other Coalition ministers – Senator Eric Abetz, who is responsible for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, and Health Minister Peter Dutton – as well as Assistant Regional Development Minister Jamie Briggs.
Mr Briggs has confirmed a meeting and Ms Brodtmann was awaiting responses from the others.
''The ACT government and residents of Mr Fluffy homes have likened the Mr Fluffy crisis to a natural disaster,'' Ms Brodtmann said.
''We’re talking about over one thousand Canberra families facing the potential loss of their most significant investment, their home, as well as substantial health concerns.
''We need strong national leadership on this issue, and we need a whole of government approach. That’s why the first meeting request I made was with the Prime Minister.''
The founder of the Fluffy Owners and Residents' Action Group, Brianna Heseltine, will be at any of the meetings which go ahead to give a first-hand account of the asbestos legacy.
Deadly Mr Fluffy asbestos infiltrates homes like ''sand through an hourglass'', according to experts, and could still be present even it could not be seen by the naked eye. There have been reports of microscopic fibres remaining stuck to timber and bricks even after cleaning.
The loose-fill amosite asbestos was spread through more than 70 ACT suburbs in the 1970s
Ms Brodtmann said the government needed to understand the full extent of the Mr Fluffy legacy so it could work with the ACT government to find solutions for all Mr Fluffy home owners and residents.
The ACT government has released new asbestos guidelines for the real estate sector, clarifying what needs to be disclosed when homes containing residual Mr Fluffy loose-fill insulation are sold or leased.
The four-page document for agency principals, agents and property managers underlines the responsibilities the industry has under law in relation to asbestos in residential properties.
