Complete ban on the manufacture, use, reuse, import, transport, storage, and sale of all forms of asbestos effective January 1, 2004. Australia had the world's highest per-capita asbestos use — James Hardie's fibro (asbestos-cement sheet) defined post-war suburban housing, and Wittenoom in Western Australia was the largest asbestos contaminated site in the southern hemisphere. Bernie Banton's campaign exposed James Hardie's underfunded compensation fund, leading to the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF) in 2007.
Wittenoom crocidolite (blue asbestos) mine opens in Western Australia, operated by Australian Blue Asbestos Ltd. CSR takes over in 1943. During the 1950s, Wittenoom is Australia's only supplier of blue asbestos and the Pilbara's largest town.
↗ SourceWittenoom mine closes — officially due to unprofitability. The contaminated town and 3 million tonnes of asbestos tailings in local gorges remain, creating what will become the largest asbestos contaminated site in the southern hemisphere.
↗ SourceWestern Australian Government begins encouraging Wittenoom residents to relocate due to airborne asbestos health risks. Buildings are demolished between 1986–1992.
↗ SourceNOHSC resolves to ban chrysotile import and use by end of 2003. James Hardie establishes the underfunded Medical Research and Compensation Foundation (MRCF) while reincorporating in Netherlands to distance from asbestos liabilities.
↗ SourceComplete ban effective January 1, 2004: all asbestos manufacture, import, use, reuse, transport, storage and sale prohibited. Jackson Commission of Inquiry exposes James Hardie's underfunded compensation fund — company found to have 'behaved wrongfully.'
↗ SourceAsbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF) finalized — James Hardie commits to unlimited-duration compensation at up to 35% of annual cash flow. Bernie Banton, the face of the campaign, receives NSW Senior Australian of the Year, then dies November 27 at age 61.
↗ SourceWittenoom officially degazetted — name removed from official maps and road signs. Town declared a contaminated site under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003.
↗ SourceASEA (Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency) established under federal mandate for asbestos safety and eradication. Renamed ASSEA (including silica) in December 2023.
↗ SourceAsbestos National Strategic Plan Phase 3 (2024-2030) endorsed by all Australian governments — targeting safe, proactive removal of ~6 million tonnes of asbestos from the built environment, projected to prevent up to 27,000 deaths by 2068.
↗ SourceThe people who fought for change.
Former James Hardie worker and leading advocate for asbestos compensation in Australia
Bernie Banton worked making asbestos lagging at James Hardie Industries and was diagnosed with asbestosis and asbestos-related pleural disease in January 1999. He became the widely recognized face of the campaign to expose James Hardie's underfunded Medical Research and Compensation Foundation (MRCF), established in 2001. His sustained public pressure — including testifying before the 2004 Jackson Commission of Inquiry — produced the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF), which committed James Hardie to unlimited-duration compensation. Despite requiring an oxygen tank, he continued campaigning until weeks before his death. He received the Member of the Order of Australia in 2005 and was named NSW Senior Australian of the Year in 2007. He died November 27, 2007, 103 days after being diagnosed with terminal peritoneal mesothelioma.
↗ SourceCEO, Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) — advocate for asbestos disease victims in Western Australia
Melita Markey leads ADSA, the primary support and advocacy organization for asbestos disease sufferers in Western Australia — including the legacy community of Wittenoom workers and their families. Under her leadership, ADSA maintains national visibility for the unfinished asbestos removal agenda. She has been a consistent public voice calling for action on the approximately 6 million tonnes of asbestos remaining in Australian buildings and on the ongoing human cost of the Wittenoom legacy.
“People haven't stopped dying, and they won't, as long as asbestos remains in our community.”— IBAS — Two Decades After Australia Banned Asbestos, November 21, 2023 (https://www.ibasecretariat.org/lka-two-decades-after-australia-banned-asbestos.php)↗ Source
Context and sources behind the numbers
All forms of asbestos have been banned since 2004. Buildings constructed before this date may still contain asbestos materials.
31.0 cases per million people per year. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20–50 years.
This is among the highest rates globally, reflecting decades of heavy industrial asbestos use.
Source year: 2020
Estimated scope of asbestos-containing materials still present in the built environment.
The period when asbestos was most heavily used in construction. Buildings from this era have the highest probability of containing asbestos materials.
Common materials still present in buildings
1930–2000
1930–2000
1930–2000
1935–1978
1950–1980
Enter your building's age and type for a personalized asbestos risk assessment.
Check My Property's RiskLast updated: 2026-03-28
Information aggregated from public sources including IBAS, EPA, and WHO. Not legal or medical advice.
How we source our data →