Why Government Support is Essential in Eliminating Dangerous Asbestos
As a homeowner or business owner, it can sometimes feel like you’re on your own with asbestos removal in New Zealand. When you discover asbestos in a building, you have to arrange to have it removed or even do it yourself.
Or, at least, that’s what it can feel like. In reality, government support can be available, and often is. In many situations, it can also be essential.
Asbestos and its Dangers
In case you haven’t yet heard, asbestos is a hazardous natural mineral that was once mined and manufactured into a wide range of products and materials. It used to feature in various building materials like roofing, vinyl, cladding, and insulation and remains legal in many countries around the world.
Even though it’s banned here in Aotearoa, this dangerous mineral is still causing havoc. If you breathe in the microscopic fibres, you may be at risk of severe and often fatal health conditions, such as cancer.
Unfortunately, the dangers didn’t die out with its popularity. Many homes and businesses throughout New Zealand still contain asbestos where you least expect it.
The Importance of Government Support in Asbestos Removal
Government support in asbestos removal can be crucial, particularly as mishandling of this material can result in lives being lost. Essentially, what this means is that without clear guidelines around how to handle it, how to encapsulate it, and how to remove it, everyday Kiwis trying to perform basic renovations can be putting themselves at risk.
How the Government Can Help With Asbestos Issues
While the prime minister isn’t going to knock on your door and help you remove your asbestos-containing vinyl flooring, there are plenty of ways the NZ government has, will, and can support everyday New Zealanders with their asbestos issues.
Provide Support During Contamination Events
One of the most crucial ways they can step up and help is by providing support and coordinating clean-up efforts during contamination events. In 2021, Ponsonby homeowners were forced to leave their properties when a school fire contaminated their homes with asbestos.
According to ACT MP Simon Court, the delay was partly caused by a lack of government bodies stepping up and coordinating the clean-up. In this situation, the onus was placed on Auckland Regional Public Health, Auckland Council, and the Ministry of Education, with no clear body taking ownership of the problem.
Provide Assistance for People Exposed in the Workplace
The government can also be supportive of Kiwis managing asbestos by offering assistance for people who have been exposed in the workplace. Currently, we have five support mechanisms in place for these situations, including ACC, the University ACC Partnership Work-related Injury Claim System, the public health system, Work and Income, and medical insurance.
Refurbishment of Important Landmarks and Buildings
If important landmarks and buildings contain asbestos, our government can take one of four appropriate actions: preserve, rehabilitate, restore, and reconstruct. Which option they choose can depend on what makes the most economic sense and which will be the safer and most effective option.
Sometimes, the problem can be solved simply by hiring asbestos removal experts. For example, if a government-owned building contains asbestos, an asbestos removal team can test for it, remove it, and encapsulate it to ensure it poses no risk to the general public.
The Benefits of Government Involvement in Asbestos Removal
The benefits of involving the government in asbestos removal can be significant. They can wear some of the financial burdens put on business, provide clear rules and regulations to keep us safe and advise on the most appropriate actions to take when dealing with asbestos.
The Future of Asbestos and the Role of the Government
We’ve been dealing with asbestos for decades, and while we’ve come a long way in removing it from several thousand homes and businesses, we’ve still got a long way to go. Fortunately, the government can play a pivotal role in what happens next.
Supporting Clean-up and Demolition Efforts
Having government support for clean-up and demolition efforts can go a long way to making sure Kiwis stay safe. Providing guidance on how these should occur in residential and commercial settings may ensure everyone involved knows their obligations.
Providing Resources to Those Who Need Them
The New Zealand government has already listened to medical experts to create guidelines for homeowners, business owners, and professional asbestos removals alike. These are generally provided through bodies like WorkSafe.
Encouraging Research into Reducing Asbestos Dangers
We may never get rid of asbestos, and that’s a genuine problem. Even though it’s no longer imported into the country and we’re removing it from our homes, it still has to go somewhere. Most of the time, it’s being safely transported to authorised dumping sites, where it will sit until it breaks down in an indeterminate amount of time.
The government may be able to change how we currently deal with asbestos by looking into ways to make it safer. For example, Chemcare partnered on an asbestos project with Unitec to look at natural microorganisms like fungi to degrade asbestos fibres and potentially remove cancer-causing elements. This is just one of many options that our government could consider to reduce asbestos risks going forward.