How to safely dispose of asbestos in Brisbane

Asbestos is a type of building material used in the building industry between the 1940s and late 1980s. People used it because it was durable, fire-resistant, and provided good insulation.

Council follows national standards for asbestos awareness and management. This aligns with the Asbestos National Strategic Plan to reduce asbestos‑related risks across Australia.

Now that we know the health risks, asbestos is no longer used and required specialised removal. Only a licensed contractor should remove or break materials suspected of containing asbestos fibres.

Council's resource recovery centres do not accept asbestos or materials containing asbestos. Proper disposal is key to keeping yourself and the wider community safe.

If you suspect a structure contains asbestos, do not disturb it! Always contact a licensed contractor for asbestos removal and treatment.

Types of asbestos

Asbestos types include bonded and fibrous.

Bonded asbestos is asbestos mixed with cement or resin to make it more stable. Health risks associated with undisturbed bonded asbestos are low. The concern arises when people remove or handle bonded asbestos.
Low density asbestos fibre board (LDB) is a lightly compressed board. It looks similar to asbestos cement sheeting or plasterboard. Only a Class A licensed asbestos professional can remove LDB.
Fibrous asbestos is asbestos in a dusty or fibrous form that can crumble into powder and get into the air. Only an approved and licensed asbestos contractor can handle this product.

How to identify asbestos

Asbestos can be hard to identify by sight. As a rule, houses which were built or had renovations done:

before the mid-1980s are more than likely to contain asbestos materials
between the mid-1980s and 1990, are likely to contain asbestos materials
after the 1990s are highly unlikely to contain asbestos materials.

Products that may contain asbestos:

carpet underlay (felt, hessian)
ceiling/roofing tiles
fireproofing around flues and ducts
fire-rated safety doors (older style)
floor tiles (vinyl and thermoplastic) and backing to vinyl flooring
gutters, rainwater pipes, and water tanks
insulation around pipes and electrical equipment
roofing material - flat, corrugated, or bitumen
wall sheeting (internal and external) and textured coatings.

Asbestos health risks

If left untouched, asbestos poses no immediate danger. Mishandling or disturbing asbestos through pressure cleaning, cutting, or sanding can release harmful fibres. This highlights the importance of understanding potential exposure locations.

Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause serious diseases that affect lung tissue like asbestosis, mesothelioma, or lung cancer. The risk of these diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled and the duration of exposure. You should always take extreme care when dealing with any asbestos product.

Asbestos removal

If your home renovation may involve asbestos, contact a licensed asbestos contractor to remove it safely.

Don't endanger yourself, your family or neighbours by trying to:

remove asbestos yourself, or;
demolish structures containing asbestos.

Only certified asbestos removalists should ever disturb and/or remove asbestos.

Asbestos removal contractors will work with building contractors and tradespeople to implement protocols that safely manage the material.

Choosing the right asbestos removalist

In Queensland, asbestos removalists much hold one of 2 licences:

Class A: all asbestos, including friable (crumbly, high-risk) asbestos
Class B: only non-friable (bonded) asbestos.

To ensure you use a licensed asbestos removalist, you should:

ask for their licence number
check the number of the Queensland Government licence register
confirm the business name matches the licence.

You can check business licences on WorkSafe.qld.gov.au.

Asbestos disposal

Dumping asbestos in any bins, public places or Council's resource recovery centres is illegal.

People who don’t comply may face fines over $50,000 and additional costs for legal and investigation work.

Certified contractors with regulatory tracking certificates can apply for approval to dispose of asbestos directly at Brisbane's landfill. Public access to this site is not available.

You can report illegal dumping by calling the 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372 or online.

Complaints about asbestos handling

If you think someone is handling, removing, or dumping asbestos improperly, contact Council.

If you think someone is handling asbestos unsafely, phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68).

More information

The Queensland Government Asbestos website provides more information about:

asbestos health risks
safe handling and disposal of asbestos.