Asbestos Disposal Management Plan Workshop

The Victorian Government Asbestos Disposal Management Plan (ADMP) was launched in February 2021 to ensure Victoria has infrastructure and supporting systems to enable safe disposal of waste asbestos and to meet future disposal needs.

The ADMP was developed by Sustainability Victoria as an action from Recycling Victoria, the Victorian Government ten-year plan for waste and recycling.

Purpose of the ADMP

Preliminary mapping identified priority communities where asbestos disposal is, or will be, most challenging now or in the near-term future.

The ADMP aims to develop a network of existing licensed landfills and new asbestos transfer sites for the short-term storage and consolidation of small amounts of packaged asbestos before it is disposed of at a landfill.

Identified communities, where there is readiness by key local stakeholders and decision makers to participate in the program, will be prioritised for ADMP support.

Asbestos waste is becoming a bigger problem

Preliminary data modelling anticipates an increase in waste asbestos over the coming years as buildings that contain asbestos are demolished or renovated. Some Victorians already find it inconvenient to dispose of asbestos. As landfills close, people will have to travel further to dispose of asbestos safely and legally.

Barriers to safe disposal of asbestos can lead to mismanagement including illegal dumping, burying on-site and contamination of other waste streams e.g. kerbside rubbish bins. Mismanagement poses health risks for workers and the community.

Workshop details

In the ADMP workshop we will consult with key stakeholders and decision-makers in priority communities to understand local asbestos disposal issues to inform our work in developing a safe and supported disposal solution.

The engagement objectives of the workshops in priority communities are to:

• share data and insights from the statewide ADMP program with key stakeholders and decision-makers
• share local knowledge from key stakeholders and decision-makers with the statewide ADMP implementation team
• work together to understand the local asbestos disposal issues and begin informing a solution.

Who is the workshop for?

Each priority community will have a dedicated local workshop with key stakeholders and decision-makers. Participation is by invitation and may include:

• local government
• landfill and transfer station owners/operators
• regional Environmental Protection Authority
• Worksafe and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
• local asbestos removalists
• trades
• Parks Victoria
• VicTrack
• water corporations
• traditional owner corporations
• plantation managers.