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Loose-fill asbestos danger: free testing in Greater Newcastle

5 July 2018

If you own a pre-1980 home in Greater Newcastle, you can register for free testing for loose-fill asbestos.

A home in the Greater Newcastle region has recently been confirmed to have loose-fill asbestos insulation. The NSW Government is now offering free testing for a limited time to owners of pre-1980s homes in Maitland, Cessnock, Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

What to agents need to know?

Licensed real estate agents are invited to attend a free one-hour session with NSW Fair Trading about:

Loose-fill asbestos
The responsibilities of owning or renting an affected home
The laws for leasing or selling a property with loose-fill asbestos
Information on the free testing in greater Newcastle

About loose-fill asbestos insulation

Loose-fill asbestos is raw crushed asbestos. In the 1960s and 70s it was installed as ceiling insulation in an unknown number of NSW homes.

Over time hazardous airborne fibres can move from the ceiling into living spaces.

Earlier experience in both NSW and the ACT has demonstrated that simply removing loose-fill asbestos from a ceiling cavity does not remove the enduring hazard.

Under the Home Building Act 1989 the NSW Government is required to maintain a register of residential properties that contain loose-fill asbestos insulation. This enables emergency services, agents and property managers, tradespeople, Councils and the broader community to check whether a property is affected.

Event details and registration

There are two information sessions scheduled for agents:

Merewether
Thursday, 12 July 2018 | 12 noon –1pm
Souths Leagues Club
46 Llewellyn Street, Merewether NSW 2291
(Parking available on site)

East Maitland
Wednesday, 11 July 2018 | 2pm – 3pm
East Maitland Bowling Club
Banks Street, East Maitland NSW 2323

RSVP to [email protected] or 02 9895 0785 by Friday 6 July 2018.