Asbestos checks before renovating in Canberra

Homes built before 2003

WorkSafe ACT's safety alert of 16 January 2025 says: "In the ACT, any property built before 2003 must be assumed to have asbestos." It also says the business carrying out the refurbishment must ensure all asbestos likely to be disturbed is identified and removed before refurbishment starts, and that "It is not the responsibility of the homeowner." That means engaging a licensed asbestos assessor and, where needed, a licensed removalist before the work.

In carpentry, asbestos can turn up in old fibre-cement wall and eaves sheeting, under-deck and wet-area linings, some floor coverings and the backing behind old trims. Our own rule is simple: we ask the year the house was built before quoting anything that cuts, drills or removes old linings, and we don't start until the question is answered.

Loose-fill asbestos (Mr Fluffy) properties

Between 1968 and the late 1970s, loose-fill asbestos insulation was installed in the roofs of some Canberra homes. The ACT keeps an Affected Residential Premises Register, updated quarterly, and most affected homes have since been demolished. For homes still on it, the Dangerous Substances Act 2004 sets these rules:

• The owner must have a current asbestos contamination report for the premises.
• Anyone engaging a worker there must tell the worker about the asbestos and give them a copy of the report.
• Work that may disturb asbestos in the roof space, wall cavity or subfloor must be notified to WorkSafe ACT at least 5 business days before it starts.

The planning exemptions don't apply to affected premises (apart from demolition and essential work), and several building-approval exemptions don't either, so carpentry there needs approval and a licensed ACT builder. See our approval guide.

The pre-1985 rule for approved building work

When building work needs a building approval, and the house (or an associated outbuilding) was built or started before 1985, the application must include an asbestos removal control plan (Building Act 2004 s 26(2)). If an asbestos assessment report exists for the premises, it goes with the application too. Access Canberra's Certifier Note 1301 tells certifiers not to issue approvals for these buildings without the plan.

This rule applies to work that needs a building approval. Exempt carpentry, such as a low deck or internal fit-out, doesn't go through a certifier, but WorkSafe ACT's pre-2003 rule above still applies to the refurbishment.

Asbestos surveys and what they cost

In the ACT, an asbestos survey of a residential property must be done by a licensed person. The Australian Government's Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency says that where five or more materials are tested, the average cost may be around $1,000 for the report once they've been analysed, and that a survey should always be done before starting any renovation work.

If an asbestos assessment report already exists for your home, the ACT requires it to be handed to anyone engaged for work involving asbestos there, so keep it with the house papers.

If you rent

Under the ACT Residential Tenancies Act, the lessor gives the tenant the asbestos assessment report or, if there isn't one, the Minister's asbestos advice. Renovations, alterations and additions by a tenant need the lessor's written consent under the standard terms, so talk to the lessor or agent before arranging carpentry.

What to expect from a carpenter

• Being asked the year the home was built, and whether it's on the loose-fill register
• No cutting, drilling or removal of old linings until asbestos is identified
• A survey arranged first where the work will disturb suspect materials
• WorkSafe ACT lists carpenters among the declared occupations that must complete accredited asbestos awareness training

Questions about asbestos before renovating