Blame it on shows like The Block – Melburnians are renovation crazy. But when it comes to houses built before 1985, makeovers come with a warning: watch out for asbestos.
To raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos, and to ensure its safe removal and disposal, Whittlesea council has partnered with the Environment Protection Authority, Victorian WorkCover Authority and operators of Woollert’s Hanson quarry to develop 50 kits for small domestic jobs involving no more than 10 square metres of intact asbestos sheeting.
The free kits contain protective clothing, material to wrap asbestos waste, detailed safety information and a voucher to help cover the cost of disposal at the Woollert tip.
A licensed professional is needed to safely remove and dispose of larger sections or where asbestos is found to be loose or crumbly.
Kits can be obtained from the council’s environmental operations team at its Epping depot.
For more details, phone Simone Chetwynd-Brown on 9401 0558 or email scb@whittlesea.vic.gov.au
