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Minister for employment and workplace relations Bill Shorten has announced that by 2013, the newly formed Office of Asbestos Safety will have developed a plan for asbestos management.
Master Builders Australia has thrown its support behind this initiative with chief executive Wilhelm Harnisch saying that this is important to ensure long term safety against asbestos in buildings and real estate.
"It is important the new agency continues to engage with the industry, as well as clients and consumers, to educate about the prevalence of asbestos in Australian buildings and what to do if you suspect asbestos in your building.
“Master Builders looks forward to working with the agency. It is important that the new agency actively engage with industry in the development of the strategic plan."
In Mr Shorten's address, he said that the goal is to "ultimately remove asbestos from the Australian built environment''.
The plan would see houses with asbestos built before 1987, sign posted to warn potential buyers or renters.
Asbestos killed 642 people in 2010 and that number is not expected to peak until 2020, according to Fairfax.
