Personal Injury Law

NSW govt may set up asbestos authority

By asbestoshub

Quoted from http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-govt-may-set-up-asbestos-authority-20101117-17wo7.html

NSW govt may set up asbestos authority

Adam Bennett

November 17, 2010 - 4:19PM

AAP

The NSW government is giving “very serious consideration” to a new asbestos authority after the state’s ombudsman described the current approach to asbestos control as “disjointed, ad hoc and confusing”.

Ombudsman Bruce Barbour on Wednesday released a report calling for a Asbestos Coordination Authority, and an Asbestos Act to give it power, saying NSW had no coherent plan for managing the toxic product.

“The current approach to dealing with asbestos in NSW is disjointed,” he said.

“There is no single government agency responsible for co-ordinating the management and containment of asbestos, there is no statewide plan for dealing with asbestos, there are gaps in asbestos legislation, and funding to deal with these issues is inadequate.”

Mr Barbour also recommended a statewide asbestos plan be developed and funded by the government, and a community awareness campaign about the risks of asbestos.

[Article continues at original source]

Full post as published by Asbestos HUB on November 17, 2010 (boomark / email).