A man was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $4,000 in court costs for removing an asbestos fence between two houses in Beckenham without the required permit.

Sole proprietor Justin John Collins pleaded guilty to carrying out the unauthorised works and was fined in Perth Local Court last Friday.

The negligent incident occurred in April 2022 when Collins removed and disposed of a 41-metre long asbestos fence and misled property owners by claiming he had a licence to carry out the dangerous removal.

After the removal, a fencing contractor installing a new fence discovered pieces of asbestos in the ground and stopped work.

Collins subsequently claimed he was not responsible for removing the buried asbestos, and the owners reported the incident to WorkSafe WA.

As Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world, largely due to past asbestos exposure, WorkSafe WA advises people to exercise caution and ensure asbestos removal is done legally and safely.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North hopes this case sends a clear warning that appropriate licenses are required for asbestos removal and disposal and is urging all asbestos removal service providers to exercise their duty of care.

“License holders must complete the appropriate training and demonstrate that they have the necessary skills to carry out the work safely and without endangering themselves or anyone else in the vicinity of the collection and disposal operations,” Ms North said.

“I would encourage people to provide photo identification, such as a driver’s license, and to check with the employee’s company to make sure the employee is actually employed by the company.”

According to the Mesothelioma in Australia 2022 report, between 700 and 800 Australians are diagnosed with this rare and aggressive cancer each year.

In 2021-22, Australia generated 1.1 million tonnes of asbestos waste, a 22% decrease from the previous year. However, long-term forecasts still indicate an increase in asbestos waste volumes.

If you have information about potentially unlawful asbestos removal or disposal, or similar safety issues, contact WorkSafe WA on 1300 307 877.