The ACT government has opted to protect the commercial interests of landlords over the rights of tenants to know they live in a Mr Fluffy asbestos house.
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Renters will have to rely on their landlords to inform them if they live in a home that was part of the removal program, and likely to still contain residual asbestos.
The Office of Industrial Relations has suppressed a list of dwellings known to have the loose-fill asbestos, arguing releasing it "could reasonably be expected to unreasonably affect" property investors' "lawful business or professional affairs".
The freedom of information rejection documents sent to the Canberra Times say it is likely a number of homes on the list would be investment properties rented for the a financial return.
A spokesman for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations Minister Simon Corbell said landlords were required to provide tenants with any asbestos assessment for a property - if there was one - or generic advice on asbestos.
"The recent letter reminding residents that the property was subject to the removal program [the Loose Asbestos Insulation Removal Program from 1988 to 1993] and additional precautions was sent to current residents, including tenants," Mr Corbell said. "Business affairs" was just one of five reasons for declining the FOI request, he said.
He said the government has sought advice on the development of a package of measures - which may include legislative amendments - to ensure tenants and workers engaged to undertake work on houses built before 1980 were aware of the potential risks.
"I understand such measures are currently the subject of consideration, including with the ACT's Asbestos Regulators Forum, and advice will be provided to the minister shortly," Mr Corbell said.
While the 1050 homes in the territory subject to the FOI request were cleaned as part of the Loose Asbestos Insulation Removal Program, they were all likely to contain contain residual fibres.
It was virtually impossible to remove all of the dangerous microscopic fibres from the homes, and so gaps were sealed to prevent them escaping into living areas.
However, homes have had fibres migrate from wall cavities. Recent tests following the reminder letter have found more than 30 homes still containing Mr Fluffy asbestos. One had fibres on top of a fridge.
The ACT government sent letters to Mr Fluffy home owners in February urging people to get an asbestos assessment before renovating.
Potential buyers of a Mr Fluffy house can learn about the home's history through paperwork associated with a sale.
Since 2004 a contract for sale of a residential property must include a lease conveyance report from the Environmental and Sustainable Development Directorate. This would indicate whether the home had been part of the Loose Asbestos Insulation Removal Program.
Information relating to a house's history under the program can also be found in the home's building file. However, only owners have access to this file and renters would have to obtain permission from the owner or owner's solicitor to see it.
A former Hawke government advisor has weighed into the debate over compensation for cleaning homes which missed the program.
Peter Conway, who owned a Mr Fluffy house cleaned during the program, said at the time the Commonwealth had agreed to pay for all of the program and there had been no limiting timeline set.
The ACT government has sought reimbursement from the Commonwealth over the money spent remediating houses that missed the original clean-up.