Asbestos Removal and Disposal
What is asbestos?
Asbestos fibres are hazardous when inhaled and can be released into the air when asbestos products are incorrectly handled, stored or transported for disposal. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and inhaling asbestos fibres can cause a number of life-threatening diseases including pleural disease, asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Asbestos materials are described as either ‘bonded’ or ‘friable'.
- Bonded asbestos material cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry. Common uses for bonded asbestos in buildings include flat (fibro) corrugated or compressed asbestos cement sheets, water, drainage / flue pipes and floor tiles. If fire, hail or water blasting damages bonded asbestos, it may become friable asbestos material.
- Friable asbestos material is any material that contains asbestos and is in the form of a powder or can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Friable asbestos was not commonly used in the home, but mainly used in industrial applications. Friable asbestos should only be removed by a specialised asbestos removal contractor with a friable asbestos licence. Licenced contractors can be found in the Yellow Pages under Asbestos Removal and/or Treatment.
Residents within the Uralla Shire can dispose of bonded and friable asbestos at Uralla Waste Management Facility. Please contact the Waste Management Facility beforehand to make sure you understand the requirements to deliver and dispose of asbestos safely.
Handling asbestos
If a house was built or renovated before 1990 it is likely that asbestos was used in products or materials both inside and outside the home. Asbestos can be easily disturbed when doing home renovations, improvements and maintenance. Asbestos materials are still commonly found in bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens as well as behind tiles and under flooring.
It is important to seek advice about correct identification, removal and handling of products containing asbestos before commencing any building or renovating around their home. Council recommends homeowners and renovators to treat all fibro sheets as if they contain asbestos unless tested and to use a licensed asbestos removal contractor to remove all building materials containing asbestos.
Asbestos disposal
Download the Asbestos Disposal Fact Sheet.
Asbestos is a hazardous waste and must be disposed of correctly at a licensed site. Uralla Shire residents can dispose of asbestos on weekdays only by appointment at the Uralla Waste Management Facility on Tip Road (off Rowan Avenue) in Uralla. Residents must book-in the planned asbestos disposal and notify the Uralla Waste Management Facility at a minimum of 48 hours prior to the disposal.
For asbestos quantities greater than 100kg or more than 10 square metres in one load you must register the load of asbestos using the EPA WasteLocate app or website. https://wastelocate.epa.nsw.gov.au/ The WasteLocate system will provide a consignment number for your load of asbestos. Please use the QR code at Uralla Waste Management Facility to register disposal or your consignment of asbestos. IMPORTANT: You must separately contact Council to book disposal of asbestos at least 48 hours in advance as the WasteLocate system does not automatically contact Council.
It is important to ensure that asbestos waste has been wetted and sealed in heavy-duty plastic prior to transportation.
For small domestic scale amounts of asbestos, residents must purchase an asbestos bag and pay the associated charge for disposal.
For larger amounts, please notify Council on (02) 6778 6300 of the intention to dispose of asbestos at the site. A quote can be provided on request.
On arrival, an Application to dispose of Asbestos form must be completed. Persons disposing of asbestos must ensure they follow all disposal procedures.
Inadequately wrapped or un-bagged asbestos will not be accepted. Asbestos weighing more than 100kg or consisting of more than 10 m2 of sheeting in one load must be accompanied by a consignment number.
Disposal safety
It is illegal to put asbestos into your kerbside recycling, general waste or green waste bin. Asbestos is a hazardous material. Putting it into your recycling bin exposes waste management staff to asbestos when they are sorting the recycling material. Fines will apply where illegally dumped asbestos is identified.
It is illegal to dispose of asbestos at an unlicenced site, including burying on your own property. Asbestos must be taken to a facility that can lawfully receive asbestos waste.
Asbestos Disposal Fees and Charges
Please visit the Fees and Charges page to view current asbestos disposal fees per bag (maximum 0.5m3) or fee per tonne.
More information for home renovators
For more information on asbestos safety, please visit the Asbestos Awareness Healthy House Checklist or the Northern Inland Regional Waste Asbestos Management website.