Home-owners with loose-fill asbestos in their houses can sell their premises, or the entire property, to the state government.
Finance Minister and Hawkesbury state MP Dominic Perrottet announced the voluntary purchase and demolition program on Monday.
It allows people a choice of selling an asbestos-contaminated home and moving elsewhere, or, having the house demolished and the land sterilised to make way for a new home.
‘‘This package will provide safety, certainty and support for our citizens and an enduring solution to the problem of loose-fill asbestos insulation,’’ Mr Perrottet said.
‘‘Ensuring the health and safety of residents is our top priority.’’
The announcement followed a report into the problem of loose-fill asbestos by a special taskforce headed by former NSW Police deputy commissioner Dave Owens.
Mr Perrottet said the government would also establish a taskforce to oversee and implement the program.
It would be supported by a new public register of affected properties, introducing mandatory hazard labelling and identifying affected properties on planning certificates.
‘‘At this stage 66 properties have been identified in NSW,’’ Mr Perrottet said.
‘‘Fifty-seven from historical records and nine from sample testing.’’
However Hawkesbury residents are excluded from the government’s free loose-fill asbestos checks, along with Penrith and Blue Mountains residents, being expected to pay for their own, while residents of 66 other NSW council areas can get the checks for free.
However, Mr Perrottet said more local government areas could be included for the free checks if more homes were found to contain loose-fill asbestos.
The loose-fill asbestos taskforce would remain until all properties registered by August 1, 2016, have been demolished and the land decontaminated.
For more information, visit nsw.gov.au/loosefillasbestos or phone 137788.
