Australia: Alliance formed to campaign for clean up of abandoned asbestos site

Alliance formed to campaign for clean up of abandoned asbestos site

Sydney, Australia - Several organizations are banding together in a campaign to have an abandoned asbestos mine at Barraba cleaned up.

The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA), Tamworth Regional Council, and the Australian Manufacturers Workers' Union (AMWU) have formed an alliance to pressure the state government to clean up the mine, stating that they will pursue it as long as it takes. The organizations are fed up with the fact that the mine, part of the Woodsreef site that was shut down over 20 years ago, still has seen little in rehabilitation.

The ADFA's national president, Barry Robson, said that the government is aware of the problem but doesn't know what course of action to take to deal with it.

He also stated that he was aware that several former workers at the mine and others who were associated with it during its days of operation have developed asbestos-related diseases. Because illnesses related with asbestos exposure don't show up in their victims until about 20 years later, Mr. Robson said the number of former workers and associates diagnosed with the diseases will start to increase seeing as how the mine was closed over 20 years ago.

While past attempts to remediate the Woodsreef site have been unsuccessful, Mr. Robson is optimistic that this one will succeed. He said the alliance will bring the issue to Sydney, to the ministers, the government and everyone involved. One of the tactics is getting the Sydney media on board to generate more public attention which will lead to strong pressure on the government.

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