Asbestos laws in Australia and Queensland: who can do what

The federal layer: a national ban and a model framework

Australia banned the manufacture, import, supply and use of all forms of asbestos on 31 December 2003. That ban stops new asbestos entering the country — but it doesn’t remove the millions of tonnes already installed in buildings before 2004, which is what most asbestos work deals with today.

Workplace safety is built on Safe Work Australia’s model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, including the model Code of Practice How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace ^[2]. National coordination and awareness sits with the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA). The model laws are a template — they only have legal force once a state or territory adopts them ^[2].

The state layer: Queensland’s WHS Regulation

Queensland has adopted the model laws as the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), with asbestos covered mainly in Part 8.7 ^[4]. This is the law that actually applies to asbestos work here — it sets out who must be licensed, when a register and management plan are required, and how asbestos must be handled, transported and disposed of.

WorkSafe Queensland licenses and enforces it ^[1]; Queensland’s whole-of-government asbestos information sits at asbestos.qld.gov.au ^[3].

Removal licences: Class A, Class B, and the 10m² line

Who can legally remove asbestos depends on the type and amount:

• A business needs a Class B licence to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos — the cement-sheet type common in older homes ^[1].
• A Class A licence is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos (material that’s powdery or can be crumbled by hand), plus non-friable asbestos ^[1].
• Below the line, no licence is required to remove 10 square metres or less of non-friable asbestos — but the work must still be done in line with Part 8.7 of the Regulation ^[1].

Friable asbestos always requires a Class A licensed remover, regardless of the amount ^[1].

Assessors, air monitoring and clearance

For higher-risk (Class A / friable) removal work, an independent licensed asbestos assessor is required to carry out air monitoring and issue the clearance certificate confirming the area is safe to reoccupy ^[1].

Independent clearance is the documented proof that a job was completed properly — which is why a reputable removalist arranges it rather than signing off their own work.

Registers and management plans for workplaces

If you manage or control a workplace, the Regulation requires you to identify asbestos, record it in an asbestos register, and prepare a written management plan where asbestos is present — kept current and accessible to workers ^[4].

As a general rule the only buildings exempt are those constructed after 31 December 1989 where no asbestos has been identified or is likely ^[4]. (We cover this in detail in our Queensland asbestos register guide.)

Disposal: asbestos is ‘regulated waste’

Asbestos waste is classified as regulated waste in Queensland, so it can’t go in a normal skip or to a normal tip. It must be appropriately wrapped and labelled, transported with the required waste-tracking documentation, and disposed of only at a landfill licensed to accept asbestos — with prior notice to the site ^[3]. Commercial operators carrying asbestos waste have tracking obligations for any quantity ^[3].

Using a licensed remover means transport and disposal are handled correctly as part of the job.

Why it matters when you choose a provider

The rules exist because asbestos exposure causes serious, irreversible disease — and because cutting corners shifts the risk onto households, tradespeople and neighbours.

When you engage a provider, it’s reasonable to ask three things: what licence class they hold, who does their clearance, and how they dispose of waste. We’re happy to answer all three.