The Australian Border Force (ABF) is undertaking a targeted period of action against imported building products at risk of containing asbestos.
Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, Jason Wood said the intention of the ABF’s Action wasn’t to hold up any legitimate and safe building materials, but to protect the Australian community from asbestos.
“This is exactly why we are urging importers to consider if they may be unintentionally bringing in Asbestos, and take into consideration whether the country of manufacture allows any use of asbestos in the goods they are importing,” Mr Wood said.
“Asbestos has been detected in building materials such as cement fibreboards and panels, pre-fabricated housing kits, cut stone and tiles,” he said.
“Parts, components and structural goods designed to resist heat or flammability may be of particular risk.”
Mr Wood said Australia was one of the few countries in the Asia/Pacific region that had a comprehensive ban on all six types of asbestos and the ABF operated year-round to guard against its importation.
He said offences related to asbestos importation by individuals could attract fines of up to $222,000 or three times the value of the goods and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
“For a body corporate the same border offence attracts a higher penalty of up to $1,110,000 or 15 times the value of the goods, whichever is the greater,” he said.
Australian Border Force Assistant Secretary, Brett Cox said the ABF expected importers to be able to demonstrate that they’d undertaken adequate assessment for goods known to be at risk of containing asbestos, or which were supplied from countries with industries that used asbestos.
“Before goods are imported into Australia, importers must have adequate documentary evidence to be able to show the ABF that their goods, if at risk, do not contain asbestos,” Mr Cox said.
“Importers must not assume that goods contain no asbestos; an asbestos-free declaration, on its own, is not evidence,” he said.
