’BETTY’ – The ADRI House paid a special visit to Armidale as part of her NSW maiden regional tour to alert residents about the dangers of asbestos when renovating or maintaining homes, urging them to learn where asbestos might be in and around the home.
Armidale Dumaresq Council’s Mayor, Cr Jim Maher inspected the special ’house’ first-hand, parked at the Armidale Visitor Information Centre.
“I was glad to see interest within our community when Betty arrived and hope others came along during her two-hour stay to see the likely places asbestos can be found around the home, which is excellently shown in this miniature mobile house. A display like this makes the issue easier to comprehend,” Mayor Jim Maher said.
A purpose-built education exhibit the size of a caravan and the first of its kind in Australia and the world, ‘Betty – The ADRI House’ is an the initiative of the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) in partnership with the Asbestos Education Committee (AEC).
Betty was escorted by dedicated volunteers, Geoff and Karen Wicks who advised residents of the multiple locations where asbestos might be found, in and around the home.
Betty, together with the www.asbestosawareness.com.au website (Australia’s most comprehensive online national asbestos information resource) form the first line of defence against the third wave of asbestos-related diseases in Australia.
With almost every Australian home built or renovated before 1987 likely to contain asbestos in one form or another; the third wave of people affected by mesothelioma (an incurable asbestos-related cancer), is set to rise.
This is unless Australians start taking seriously the dangers of asbestos when renovating or maintaining their homes whether constructed of brick, weatherboard, fibro or even cladding.
While asbestos does not pose a health risk if left undisturbed, ADRI discourages Do-It-Yourself building projects where asbestos is present. Another important message of the initiative is that asbestos removal is affordable and manageable.
For more information on how to identify asbestos in your home and how to handle it correctly, including links to qualified professionals, visit www.asbestosawareness.com.au.
