Asbestos Removal FAQs for Wagga Wagga and NSW

You can’t tell by looking at it. Many building materials look similar whether or not they contain asbestos. SafeWork NSW advises that the only way to confirm asbestos is to have a sample tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory, and strongly recommends the sample is collected by a competent person. Until it’s tested, treat any suspect material as if it contains asbestos.

No. Photos can help a professional understand the size, location and condition of a material, but they can’t confirm whether it contains asbestos. If you do take photos, only do so from a safe distance without touching or disturbing the material.

If your home was built or renovated before 1990, there’s a good chance it contains asbestos somewhere. Asbestos was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003, so any building constructed before then may contain it.

Common places include fibro wall and ceiling sheets, eaves, corrugated roofing, fencing, wet-area linings behind tiles, vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring backing, textured ceilings, pipe lagging, old heaters and hot water units, meter boards, garage and shed linings, and window putty. On rural properties, look out for old farmhouses, shearing sheds, water tanks and machinery sheds.

Loose-fill asbestos is a crumbly, highly dangerous form of asbestos that was pumped into ceiling spaces as insulation in some older NSW homes. The NSW Government keeps a public Loose-Fill Asbestos Insulation Register through NSW Fair Trading. If you suspect loose-fill asbestos, don’t enter the ceiling space or take a sample. Contact NSW Fair Trading for advice.

Asbestos in good condition that isn’t being disturbed generally poses a low risk. The danger comes when it’s broken, cut, drilled, sanded, weathered or damaged, which can release fibres into the air. If your asbestos is in good condition and you have no plans to disturb it, removal may not be urgent, but it’s worth getting professional advice, especially before any renovation or repair work.

Friable asbestos can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. It releases fibres easily and is the higher-risk type. Non-friable, or bonded, asbestos is mixed with a binding material such as cement, making it more stable while in good condition. Bonded asbestos can become friable if it’s badly weathered, damaged by fire or broken up. Both types need careful management.

Don’t pressure-clean it. High-pressure water spraying blasts fibres off the surface and can spread contaminated slurry across your property and your neighbours’. Its use on asbestos is prohibited under NSW Work Health and Safety regulations. Sanding, scraping and wire-brushing are also unsafe. If you’re thinking about painting or sealing an asbestos roof, get professional advice first.

Stop work immediately, keep people and pets away, and don’t sweep, vacuum with a household vacuum, hose down or try to clean it up. If it’s indoors, turn off air conditioning, heating and fans. If there’s immediate danger such as fire or a structural collapse, call 000. For storm damage needing emergency help, call the NSW SES on 132 500. Then get advice from a licensed asbestos professional. See our Damaged or Disturbed Material page for step-by-step guidance.

A Class A asbestos removal licence is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos. A Class A or Class B licence is required to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos. Other conditions and duties may also apply, so the contractor carrying out the work should confirm the licence and process that applies to your job.

NSW rules allow a homeowner to remove less than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos from their own home under strict conditions. However, both Wagga Wagga City Council and SafeWork NSW recommend using a licensed contractor to reduce exposure risk. Keep in mind that 10 square metres is smaller than it sounds, about the size of a few metres of standard fencing. Friable asbestos must only ever be removed by a Class A licensed removalist. This website doesn’t provide DIY removal instructions.

Ask for their licence details and verify them using SafeWork NSW’s online Verify.licence service. It only takes a couple of minutes, and any reputable removalist will be happy for you to check.

In NSW, a licensed asbestos removalist must notify SafeWork NSW at least five days before starting licensed removal work, except in certain emergencies. It’s worth building this into your renovation or project timeline.

It depends on the type of asbestos, where it is, how much there is and the safety controls being used. For many outdoor jobs, you may only need to stay away from the work area. Indoor or friable asbestos removal may require part or all of the property to be vacated. Ask your contractor to explain any restrictions for occupants, tenants, staff and pets before work begins.

Every job is different, so it’s hard to give a reliable price without understanding the details. The main factors are the type of asbestos (friable removal costs more), the amount, where it’s located, how easy it is to access, whether it’s damaged, the safety controls needed, disposal costs, any testing or air monitoring, and whether a clearance certificate is required. Travel can also affect pricing for rural locations.

Always ask for a written scope before accepting a quote. It should clearly state what’s being removed, the licence class, the safety controls, how waste will be packaged, transported and disposed of, access requirements, the expected timeframe, any exclusions, whether clearance is included, and the total price or how the price is calculated. Don’t assume disposal or clearance is included unless it’s written down.

A clearance certificate confirms that an asbestos removal area has been inspected and is safe to reoccupy. In NSW, after licensed removal, a clearance inspection is required. For friable asbestos, this must be carried out by a licensed asbestos assessor and include air monitoring. For non-friable asbestos, it’s carried out by an independent competent person. Ask your contractor who will issue it and whether the cost is included in your quote, and keep the certificate for your records.

Asbestos waste must be securely wrapped, labelled and taken only to a facility licensed to accept it. Loads over 100 kilograms or 10 square metres of sheeting must be tracked through the NSW EPA’s Integrated Waste Tracking Solution (IWTS). In the Wagga Wagga local government area, Council identifies the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre as the only EPA-licensed facility that accepts asbestos waste, subject to its current requirements and advance notice. Your contractor should explain and document the disposal pathway for your job.

No. Asbestos must never go in household bins, recycling, general skip bins, kerbside clean-ups or be dumped. Illegal disposal can lead to significant penalties, and mixing asbestos with other waste can turn a whole load into asbestos waste, making disposal much more expensive.

Don’t touch or disturb it, and tell your landlord or property manager in writing. If asbestos has been damaged and the property is unsafe, it may be treated as an urgent repair under NSW tenancy laws. NSW Fair Trading can explain your rights and your landlord’s responsibilities.

It’s a sensible step. A pre-purchase building inspection may note suspected asbestos, and a specialist asbestos inspection can give you more detail. You can also check whether the property is listed on the NSW Loose-Fill Asbestos Insulation Register.

If a neighbour’s work, such as pressure-cleaning an asbestos roof or breaking up a fibro fence, is affecting your property, contact Wagga Wagga City Council. If a business or tradesperson is doing the work, you can also contact SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50. Illegal dumping can be reported to the NSW EPA Environment Line on 131 555.