Asbestos

Asbestos fibres are hazardous when inhaled as fibres can be released into the air when handled incorrectly. This means that safe removal, storage and transportation methods are essential for the health and wellbeing of our community.

For information on how to safely manage asbestos, please refer to the Office of Environment and Heritage’s has brochure titled “Safely disposing of asbestos waste from your home”.

How to correctly dispose of asbestos in the Tamworth Region

The Tamworth Waste Management Facility is the only landfill in the Council area that is licensed to accept asbestos waste. Disposing asbestos waste in domestic garbage bins is illegal. It’s also illegal to re-use, recycle or dump asbestos products.

If you need to dispose of asbestos there are two options:
  • For small domestic quantities of asbestos, less than 100kg of material in total, Prepaid Asbestos bags are only available for purchase from the weighbridge at the Tamworth Waste Management Facility for $17 per bag. This price includes the cost of disposal so when you return the sealed bags to this location, you don’t have to pay any additional disposal costs if these bags are used correctly. You will also receive a NSW Government flyer instructing you how to safely prepare, transport and dispose of asbestos.
  • To dispose of larger quantities that requires professional removal, licenced commercial operators are asked to complete the required waste disposal permit in advance and must receive approval to dispose before arriving to site. Please note that permits are processed during Monday – Friday office hours and please allow up to 48hours to process application and receive approval. 

For more information about managing asbestos waste, please refer to the following resources:


Free Household Asbestos Testing Kits

A limited number of Household Asbestos Testing Kits are available to help residents identify asbestos-containing material and assist with safe management or removal.

The free kits are available to residents and can be collected from your local Council while stocks last (households only, not for commercial/industrial use).

If you miss out, Asbestos testing can be organised through any NATA-accredited laboratory. Find a NATA-accredited laboratory today.

Please note:

  • Limited number of kits available
  • Maximum one kit per property allowed
  • Only the owner of property can request and receive the kit
  • Up to 3 samples only for each kit can be tested
  • Tamworth - allow 24 hours so the kit is available for pick up at the Tamworth Customer Service Office
  • Other areas - Council staff will call the resident requesting the kit to arrange logistics
  • Kits are not available for trades persons – they can’t request on the owner's behalf.
  • How long is the testing process? We are unable to advise a timeframe unfortunately as the postage of samples is beyond Council and the Laborartory control. The whole process could potentially take a few weeks.

To arrange a Free Household Asbestos Testing Kit contact Council’s Customer Service to pre-arrange a kit for pick up.