Asbestos Regulation in Australia

Australia banned the use, manufacture, supply, import and export of all asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) on 31 December 2003. The ban was implemented through the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations adopted in each state and territory, and through amendments to the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations. Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world — a legacy of being the world's largest per-capita user of asbestos during the mid-twentieth century.

The primary framework for managing legacy asbestos is the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, which all states and territories (except Victoria) have adopted. Under these regulations, the "Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking" (PCBU) has a primary duty of care to manage workplace asbestos risks. Buildings constructed before 1 January 2004 are presumed to potentially contain ACMs unless the contrary is established by a competent person.

Safe Work Australia publishes the model Code of Practice: How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace, which requires that an asbestos register be maintained for all workplaces where ACMs are present or likely to be present, and that an asbestos management plan be prepared when ACMs are found. Removal of friable asbestos must be performed by a Class A licensed removalist; Class B covers non-friable asbestos removal. Both classes are licensed by the relevant state or territory WHS regulator.