The Latrobe Valley Asbestos Taskforce was commissioned in early 2019 and brings together government agencies, councils, local groups and unions to review how asbestos is managed in the Latrobe Valley.

The taskforce will assess current waste handling processes and safety practices, develop a plan for the management, demolition, transportation and disposal of asbestos material for all Latrobe Valley sites and locations, including domestic and commercial.

“The taskforce has been meeting regularly and has developed a strategic plan around four key focus areas; Asbestos Management, Regulations, Enforcement and Awareness Raising,” said independent Chair and Latrobe Health Advocate Jane Anderson.

“One of the things we know is that the dangers of asbestos are not fully understood, and so we will be developing an awareness campaign to address that,” said Ms Anderson.

 “Australia is now seeing what is referred to as a third wave of asbestos victims. The first wave of victims included people involved in the mining and transportation of asbestos, and the second wave included people who worked with asbestos products. The third wave includes people who haven’t been exposed to asbestos in the workplace but are developing asbestos related diseases. They are mostly home renovators.

“We hope that as many people as possible can set aside a little bit of time to complete the survey, so that the taskforce can develop a campaign that will be the most effective in reaching the wider community in the most effective way possible.

 “This survey is an important first step in understanding community concerns, awareness of, and attitudes towards asbestos in the Latrobe Valley,” said Ms Anderson, “we need to get the message out that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Survey link: https://engage.vic.gov.au/latrobe-valley-asbestos-benchmark-survey

Hard copies available by contacting:
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
71 Hotham Street, Traralgon VIC 3844
Tel: 03 5172 2111