Agencies can observe, inspect and investigate people and businesses involved with asbestos disposal to make sure they are complying with the law. They can also fine, warn, and take other actions against anyone who dumps asbestos.
But agencies do not coordinate their approach to monitoring and enforcement. The type and severity of compliance actions they take depends on where the asbestos was dumped, and which agency cleaned it up.
While information about how to safely remove and dispose of asbestos is widely available, it is not always complete.
This can make it difficult for people to know where to take asbestos. Different landfills and other collection points also have different costs and conditions for accepting asbestos. The lack of clarity can be confusing and could deter people from disposing of asbestos correctly.
The government does not understand the scale of asbestos dumping across Victoria.
This is because responsible agencies do not systematically collect, use and share data about the frequency and location of illegal asbestos disposal.
Doing this would support the efforts of land managers and regulators to reduce illegal disposal.
The government also does not know where and how much asbestos is still in Victorian buildings and structures. This information would help the government forecast patterns of illegal disposal and plan for future infrastructure needs.
Many Victorian homes and workplaces contain asbestos. When asbestos products are damaged or disturbed they can release fibres that threaten the health of anyone who inhales them. The government regulates asbestos removal and disposal to reduce this risk.
This section summarises our key findings. The chapters detail our complete findings, including supporting evidence.
When reaching our conclusions, we consulted with the audited agencies and considered their views. The agencies’ full responses are in Appendix A.
Our findings fall into 3 key areas:
We made 7 recommendations to address 3 issues. The relevant agencies have accepted the recommendations in full or in principle.
This dashboard provides transparency to the Victorian public and parliamentarians on agencies’ responses to our performance engagement recommendations.
Our performance engagements assess whether government agencies are effectively and efficiently meeting their objectives, using resources economically and complying with legislation. They often identify opportunities for improvement, which are reflected in our recommendations.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix G: Agency responses to assurance review.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix F: The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s Internal Control – Integrated Framework (COSO framework).
Click the link below to download a PDF copy of Appendix E. Between-year trends of departmental completion times.