Young residents are among NSW homeowners who have taken up the State Government’s free testing for the deadly loose-fill asbestos Mr Fluffy.
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Young was one of 14 councils in the state that was told in August that Mr Fluffy may have been used as insulation in homes built in the 1960s and 1970s.
WorkCover said as of September 11, nine residents had inquired about free testing for eligible homes built prior to 1980 in Young.
It is still unknown how many houses across the state could be affected.
Mr Fluffy was a Canberra-based company that used loose-fill asbestos to insulate homes mainly in the 1960s and 70s before the ACT launched a major program in 1988 to rid houses of the asbestos.
Representatives from the Heads of Asbestos Co-ordinating Authority (HACA), briefed Young Shire Counil on the ongoing investigation on September 11.
Director of planning and environment Craig Filmer said council was advised on licensed assessors as well as policy work for Landfill staff.
“Council will continue to assist HACA who are lead agency in this investigation,” he said.
“Residents are again reminded that for their own safety not to look in their roof spaces of pre 1983 houses without at least a P3 mask.
“Any further work should only occur with licensed asbestos handlers or after contacting the hotline.”
It comes as the state government announced a cross-party committee to investigate the scope of the issue.
“This inquiry has been established, amidst mounting public health concerns, to look into the extent of homes affected by loose-fill asbestos insulation in NSW,” committee chairman Fred Nile said.
“We will look at what actions have been taken by governments to deal with loose-fill asbestos insulation in other jurisdictions, and what role state and local governments should play to appropriately advise and assist home owners and occupiers to reduce the risks posed by loose-fill asbestos insulation.”
Mr Nile said the committee would consider what obligation property owners had to notify potential buyers, renters and tradespeople about the presence of Mr Fluffy on their property.
The committee is seeking written submissions, with a closing date of October 31.
The Mr Fluffy hotline is 13 10 50.
