By political reporter James Glenday
The ACT Government will ask the Commonwealth for a low interest loan or fund, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to help it solve the region’s asbestos crisis.
Potentially deadly loose-fill asbestos insulation was pumped into more than 1,000 homes in Canberra and parts of New South Wales in the 1960s and 70s by an operator known as Mr Fluffy.
The Commonwealth paid to have the roofs of the ACT houses cleaned in the late 1980s and early 90s, and the houses were declared safe to live in.
But it has recently been revealed some of the substance remained in the ceiling, walls, floors and soil – and about 20 families have now abandoned their homes.
A former Canberra jeweller, who only wants to be known as Chris, lived in a Mr Fluffy house for 25 years and now has mesothelioma, a rare and often fatal cancer of the membrane that covers many of the body’s internal organs.
It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.
“I am absolutely 100 per cent sure that mesothelioma, if it comes from asbestos, it will have come from my house,” he said.
“I visited the roof many, many times before being exposed to sickness.”
He says he is terrified his adult children will also get mesothelioma.
“My kids will eventually show something. I hope not but … that’s my greatest fear,” he said.
“I don’t mind if I get it but I don’t want my kids to have it.
“[Governments] have to clean it 100 per cent or destroy the houses. Something has to be done once and for all.”
Chris is one of at least two men who were diagnosed with cancer this year after being exposed to Mr Fluffy asbestos decades ago.
The other man has recently died.
‘Growing case’ for houses to be demolished
The ACT Government has set up a taskforce to come up with possible solutions to the crisis and will report in August.
A final decision has not been made, but ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says there is a “growing case for demolition”.
Some of the options being discussed include a home buyback scheme, a knockdown-and-rebuild scheme and a short-term remediation scheme for elderly residents who might want to remain in their homes for a few years.
“They’re all part of our planning and I think that goes to the fact there is no easy or one fit solution to this,” Ms Gallagher said.
Any action to fix the problem could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The 7.30 program understands the ACT Government will ask the Federal Government for a low interest loan to help kick-start work.
The territory believes the Commonwealth has to help out because it ran the ACT when the asbestos fluff was installed.
“I’m not going to respond to what we are leaning towards or not leaning towards,” Federal Employment Minister Eric Abetz said.
“What I can say is that we are getting all the information together in a very methodical and purposeful manner.”
Unknown number of NSW houses also affected
There is also an unknown number of Mr Fluffy homes in New South Wales towns surrounding the ACT, including Queanbeyan and Batemans Bay.
They were not part of the initial clean-up more than 20 years ago because of a dispute over what level of government should pay.
Queanbeyan Mayor Tim Overall is demanding his city be part of any solution this time.
“The ghost of Mr Fluffy is alive and well in Queanbeyan,” Mr Overall said.
“I think it’s moved on from jurisdictional debate to being potentially a major public health issue.
“We have a bigger problem in Queanbeyan … we are just not aware of the number of properties in Queanbeyan that are affected with this material.”
In a statement provided to 7.30, a spokesman for the NSW minister responsible, Dominic Perrottet, said the asbestos can be safety kept in the roofs of houses “where an appropriate risk management approach is taken and controls have been put in place to ensure containment”.
Residents of asbestos-filled houses demand action
The 7.30 program visited the Ziolkowski’s family home last week in Canberra’s north, after an asbestos assessor told them it was no longer safe to enter.
Their home was cleaned 20 years ago but after four asbestos assessments, blue asbestos dust – so microscopic it could not be seen with the naked eye – was found in the living areas, the bedrooms and children’s cupboards.
It was being blown through the central heating system, and the family had been breathing it in for years.
“I can’t say the words, there are no words, to say what that feels like,” mother-of-two Lisa Ziolkowski said.
“We are stuck with this house, no-one will buy it. We can’t afford to knock it down, we can’t live in it.
“We still have to pay for it, even though we’re not living in it, we still have to pay for rent as well as paying for the home we can’t live in.”
Home owners have formed the Fluffy Owners and Residents’ Action Group.
It is still investigating the possibility of a class action law suit.
Founder Brianna Heseltine said she expects action soon.
“I think when I think back about the history of this issue, I don’t understand why a government 20 years ago didn’t do what we’re asking the governments to do today.” Ms Heseltine said.
“They need to draw a line under Mr Fluffy homes in Australia.”