We are taking the fight to asbestos-related diseases to bring about more awareness and justice
Asbestos Awareness Australia was founded in the loving memory of Gill North. Unfortunately, Gill lost her battle with mesothelioma in 2021 and before she left, it was her dying wish to ensure she and her husband, Martin did everything in their power to warn others about the potential dangers of asbestos.
The harms[ii] of legacy or in situ asbestos[iii] in Australia were created in Australia during the 20th century, with expansive distribution of asbestos containing products manufactured by James Hardie Industries Ltd (“James Hardie”), CSR Ltd (“CSR”) and others until the 1980s. The powers that be allowed these activities to continue, despite irrefutable evidence of the deaths caused by exposure to its carcinogenic fibres.
learn moreThe asbestos crisis in Australia is far from over,[ii] and the ongoing risks and harms[iii] are poorly documented and comprehended. A summary of the asbestos timeline is necessary to understand the current settings and to set the scene for evaluation of measures and policy options to minimise future fatalities from asbestos-related diseases.
learn moreThe prior report discussed the findings of our household survey research. This survey asked Australians the following questions:
Is asbestos dangerous to health?
What level of exposure to asbestos is dangerous?
What is the most harmful effect of asbestos exposure?
How many Australians die each year from asbestos-related diseases?
Our prior paper found that the cumulative levels of compensation and other contributions from James Hardie Industries Ltd “James Hardie” and CSR Limited “CSR” to mitigate the harms and minimise deaths caused by legacy asbestos likely total less than 3 billion dollars. In contrast, we predict that the financial impositions of the asbestos crisis in Australia will almost certainly exceed tens of billions of dollars
learn moreCHARITY
Professor Gill North died on 23rd December 2021, aged 61 years after an extended battle with Mesothelioma. This insidious disease is caused by exposure to Asbestos fibers and more than 800 people die each year just in Australia. It can take many years to develop for a single exposure. Other forms of disease also come directly from exposure to Asbestos – and in total around 4,000 die each year in Australia.
learn moreDonations to Asbestos Awareness Australia are tax deductible (with endorsement from the Australian Taxation Office as a deductible gift recipient). All money received from the public will be spent entirely on specific projects that satisfy our charitable purposes, such as targeted asbestos awareness programs or specific research projects.
learn morevideos
Research
This paper summarises the science on asbestos-related diseases, with a primary focus on health outcomes and sources of exposure. The paper also highlights the commercial and political influences on the messages conveyed to the community, based allegedly on scientific developments.
learn more
The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency commissioned Colmar Brunton, a market research company, to conduct quantitative research on asbestos awareness in 2014, 2016 and 2018.[i] These surveys were split into three groups, including the general public, tradespersons, and real estate personnel. The respondents in the public category numbered around 1,000 in each period and the samples were aligned with the Australian Bureau of Statistics census distributions.
learn more
Prior papers discuss the human burdens flowing from asbestos activities in Australia and conclude that:
1. The estimated death counts from asbestos-related diseases in Australia may have already surpassed 100,000.
2. Large scale future fatalities from these diseasesare inevitable in coming decades, especially under the current legal and other settings.
