The cancer-causing material was found in playgrounds, hospitals and schools, and prompted inquiries that identified critical gaps in NSW waste management. <\/p>\n
MORE: Warning over \u2018scourge\u2019 of asbestos dumping<\/a><\/p>\n Workers in hazmat suits remove mulch contaminated with asbestos from Bicentennial Park in Glebe on February 29, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.<\/p>\n Mathew Klintf\u00e4lt is a member of the Asbestos Education Committee. He recently renovated his home and paid for costly professional asbestos removal but later found more buried in his backyard and mixed into 2.5 tonnes of concrete around his home. <\/p>\n \u201cWe spent north of $25,000 removing asbestos and that\u2019s probably 5 per cent of the build cost,\u201d Mr Klintf\u00e4lt said.<\/p>\n \u201cEven the other day, my kid (said) \u2018oh look a stone\u2019 and I\u2019m like \u2018can you give me that?\u2019 \u2026 and there\u2019s other friends at the local school that are like \u2018I\u2019m finding so much (asbestos) in the garden\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s not in your home, it\u2019s in your neighbours,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n MORE: \u2018I felt sick\u2019: Aussie loses $100k in just 5 hours<\/a><\/p>\n Klinfalt family affected by asbestos caused cancer. Picture: Asbestos Awareness. NSW real estate<\/p>\n Fragments of asbestos on the corner of two streets, found left out on the open.<\/p>\n Asbestos was favoured for being a fireproof material and was commonly used for plumbing, building walls, roofing, insulation and even products like hair dryers. <\/p>\n One in three homes built before 1990 still contain the carcinogen, which was banned in 2003 after the health concerns became clear.<\/p>\n MORE: What to do if you suspect asbestos in your home<\/a><\/p>\n Places asbestos can hide in the home. Picture: Asbestos Awareness.<\/p>\n Mr Klintf\u00e4lt said he welcomes the trial but that there\u2019s not enough detail yet on how the program will work and it\u2019s only \u201cone part of the pathway\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201c(The free trial is) not fixing the whole problem but at least it means (asbestos) doesn\u2019t go in your red bin or a skip bin and then get those sites contaminated,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cAt least this way it can be picked up, but how does it get into a plastic bag in the first place is also very, very important and that\u2019s where the whole messaging around the program needs to be correct.<\/p>\n \u201cThis doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s safe \u2026 I don\u2019t know how it\u2019s going to be rolled out.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t expect $25,000 worth of asbestos to be picked up for free,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Klinfalt family affected by asbestos caused cancer. Picture: Asbestos Awareness. NSW real estate<\/p>\n Safe asbestos practices are close to Mr Klintf\u00e4lt\u2019s heart because his mum Carol Klintf\u00e4lt OAM died from an asbestos caused cancer called mesothelioma in 2014. <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019d been diagnosed with pneumonia twice in the same 12 months \u2026 and the (mesothelioma) diagnosis came through (eight months) after a biopsy,\u201d Mr Klintf\u00e4lt said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was very little understanding of what mesothelioma was, let alone how to spell it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prognosis was really dire,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Ms Klintf\u00e4lt was initially given six months to live and offered a range of invasive surgical treatments but opted to preserve her quality of life. <\/p>\n \u201cI think the first year was definitely a lot of commiseration, lots of wallowing among the family,\u201d Mr Klintf\u00e4lt said. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen mum made it through that six to 12 months, she got on with it and sort of harnessed the anger and put it to good use (by advocating),\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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