❓ Mr. Buswell questions the Minister for Housing and Works regarding asbestos management in government buildings following an Auditor General's report. The Minister responds that the Department of Housing and Works is addressing the issue and bringing agencies into compliance.
AnsweredQoN 644Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ASBESTOS - GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
I refer to the government’s dangerous failure to address the major health issue of asbestos in government buildings, as outlined by the Auditor General in his “Public Sector Performance Report 2007”, report 4. (1) Is WorkSafe pursuing any of the agencies that, clearly, failed to start or complete the asbestos health risk registers and management plans that were required by law to be completed by December 2005? (2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
I refer to the government’s dangerous failure to address the major health issue of asbestos in government buildings, as outlined by the Auditor General in his “Public Sector Performance Report 2007”, report 4. (1) Is WorkSafe pursuing any of the agencies that, clearly, failed to start or complete the asbestos health risk registers and management plans that were required by law to be completed by December 2005? (2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(1) Is WorkSafe pursuing any of the agencies that, clearly, failed to start or complete the asbestos health risk registers and management plans that were required by law to be completed by December 2005? (2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(1) Is WorkSafe pursuing any of the agencies that, clearly, failed to start or complete the asbestos health risk registers and management plans that were required by law to be completed by December 2005? (2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(2) What guarantees has the minister given or will she give to staff and people using these premises that their lives have not been and will not be placed at risk by the government’s failure? (3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(3) Has the minister sought legal advice on whether her failure to address the asbestos risk is potentially exposing the state to millions of dollars worth of future legal claims? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
(1)-(3) This matter is being addressed by the works section of the Department of Housing and Works, not, as I understand, by WorkSafe as such. Those agencies are being brought into line. It is something that is being treated with urgency. Most of the agencies with shortcomings have had them drawn to their attention and they are working very closely with the Department of Housing and Works to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Auditor General.
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