Asbestos Nightmare in Australia

ABC News Australia covers the topic of the overwhelming amounts of asbestos left behind in Australian homes. Weeks after renovations began in their rented home, a Canberra couple have been ordered to leave - after asbestos was discovered all over the property.

It's a story that unfortunately is all too common. Approximately one third of Australian homes were constructed with materials and products containing asbestos fibres. Although asbestos is no longer in use in Australia, its legacy is enormous.

WorkSafe Australia shut down a renovation site that the couple were living in because the builder had been removing and damaging asbestos without notifying the couple or the landlord of the presence of asbestos. The couple were unknowingly living in and breathing in deadly asbestos fibres for days before WorkSafe were tipped off by someone about the asbestos remains in the skip out the front of the house.

Tests uncovered that there were 3 types of asbestos on the property. The law in Australia requires asbestos not to be worked on, removed, and handled until it has been appropriately assessed by an asbestos specialists. The removal should be executed by a licensed asbestos removalist. The couple have now been told by doctors that they have been heavily exposed to asbestos and may face serious health consequences in the future. They have been removed from the house, and have had to leave most of their belongings due to contamination.