Asbestos Removal in Canberra — questions and answers
Short answers on asbestos in Canberra and the ACT: who may remove it, how to find out if a home has it, who has to be told, what happens after removal and what disposal costs. This site sets no prices for the work.
Call (02) 5114 6762Cost
How much does asbestos removal cost in Canberra?
We set no price, and no government source we read publishes one for removal, testing or assessment. The costs page sets out what changes a job and the disposal fees the ACT Government sets, with the date each was read. The costs page's Asbestos removal costs and rules check lists the ACT's asbestos, licensing and disposal rules that apply to your job, each with its source.
How much does asbestos disposal cost in the ACT?
Nothing for a household load up to 60 kg. From 60 to 250 kg it is A$59.55 a load, and A$236.80 a tonne at 250 kg or more, both GST inclusive and current from 1 July 2026. No government source sets a price for testing, assessment or removal itself: that is a written quote from a licensed provider.
Asbestos in a Canberra home
What decides who may remove it, and where it goes
Five questions, in the order a homeowner meets them, each answered in the regulator's or the ACT Government's own words.
Licensed, whatever the amount
10 square meters
the national model's allowance for non-friable removal, which the ACT removed: every removal job is licensed work
Fibro sheeting is non-friable, and pipe lagging can be friable. Either way, a licensed removalist does the removal.
Source: ACT Legislation Register, Dangerous Substances (General) Regulation 2004 · read
The removalist tells WorkSafe ACT
five days
the least notice a licensed removalist gives WorkSafe ACT in writing before removal work starts
At a home the household and the neighbours are told too.
Source: WorkSafe ACT, Asbestos removal notice · read
A clearance before anyone moves back
0.01 fibres/mL
where the assessor monitors the air, the clearance result must show asbestos below this
An independent licensed assessor issues the clearance certificate.
Source: ACT Legislation Register, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 · read
Free disposal has a limit
60 kg
the free household disposal allowance, reduced from 250 kg
Above it, loads are booked and charged.
Source: ACT City Services, Recyclopaedia: Asbestos · read
Check the Register for an older home
1000
the number of Canberra homes that had raw asbestos crushed and blown into their roof spaces
The ACT Government's Register is where to check before any work starts.
Source: ACT Government, Loose Fill Asbestos Coordination: Demolition process · read
Each figure names its source and the date it was read. None is a quote for your job or a promise about any application.
Process
Can I remove asbestos myself in the ACT?
Generally no. Removal from any premises, including a home, needs a licensed asbestos removalist, and doing it yourself at a home that is not a workplace is a strict liability offence carrying a maximum penalty of 30 penalty units, A$4,800 for an individual at A$160 a penalty unit (our calculation). The ACT has no do-it-yourself allowance for a small area like the 10 m² one in New South Wales; the only exception is work that genuinely counts as minor routine maintenance.
How do I know if my Canberra home has asbestos?
A residential building constructed or refurbished before 1990 is likely to contain it. WorkSafe ACT's fact sheet points to roof sheeting, eaves and switchboards outside, wall and floor material inside, and sheds, fences and pools outside. If you are not sure, call a licensed assessor rather than touching it.
Timing
How quickly can someone get to me?
We cannot promise a time. It depends on the provider's bookings, and licensed work needs written notice to WorkSafe ACT at least five days before it starts.
Who has to be told before asbestos is removed?
The licensed removalist gives WorkSafe ACT written notice at least five days before removal begins, or phones and follows up within 24 hours if it is urgent. At a home the removalist must also tell the person who commissioned the work, the occupier, the owner and anyone occupying premises in the immediate vicinity, so far as reasonably practicable.
Permits and approvals
Do I need approval before removing asbestos?
Sometimes. An application for building approval for a class 1, 2, 3 or 4 building erected before 1985 must be accompanied by an asbestos removal control plan, and certifiers are told not to issue approval without it. At a loose-fill (Mr Fluffy) affected property, building work is limited to essential work or demolition. Ask Access Canberra which applies to your address.
Source: ACT Legislation Register, Building Act 2004, s 26; Access Canberra, Certifier note 1301; ACT Government loose-fill pages; read 27 September 2026.
Service area
Which suburbs do you cover?
Canberra and the ACT, from Kambah in the south to Flynn and Macgregor in the north. Four suburbs have a page, Kambah, Curtin, Macquarie and Chapman, each written around a count or a Register entry from the ACT Government's own loose-fill tables. Others, such as Pearce, Farrer, Lyons and Torrens, are covered on the same terms.
Do you remove the asbestos yourselves?
No. This site is run by a marketing company, which passes each enquiry to an independent licensed local provider. The provider inspects the job and quotes it, and does any work itself; we hold no licence and have no crews or plant.
Thanks — we have your enquiry. Someone will be in touch shortly. Prefer to talk now? Call (02) 5114 6762.
Last reviewed · Updated · First published