Senator Chris Evans asked the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 8 November 2002:

The list of contracts signed in 2001-02 includes the following entry:

(1) What work did this contract cover.

(2) On what site or sites was asbestos present (indicate the nature of the site, for example, housing, warehouse, office building).

(3) What was the nature of the asbestos at these sites.

(4) When was the asbestos detected at these sites.

(5) What prompted the remediation of these sites.

Senator Hill (Minister for Defence) —The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

(1) The work represents the first phase of the removal of asbestos from Defence facilities in North Queensland, at a cost of $2.516 million over a three-year period.

(2) The sites from which asbestos is to be removed include:

(a) an underground communication pit;

(b) hangars and workshops;

(c) plant rooms;

(d) offices and workshops;

(e) offices;

(f) flammable liquid storage cabinets;

(g) fire doors;

(h) canteens;

(i) workshops; and

(j) hot water units.

(3) Laboratory results of samples of asbestos taken at the sites show the nature of the asbestos to be predominantly Chrysotile Asbestos.

(4) The asbestos was identified as a result of an audit conducted specifically to register the presence of asbestos on Defence properties. The asbestos audit for North Queensland was completed in February 2001 and was updated in August 2002.

(5) Until the 1970s, asbestos was commonly used as a building material in many Australian buildings and because of this common industry practice some Defence buildings contain asbestos. Defence takes the risk that the existence of this asbestos poses to the health of its people seriously. Defence is undertaking a 10-year rolling program that commenced in 2000 to remove asbestos from asbestos-affected buildings it now occupies. This work in North Queensland is part of that program.