Floods in the Australian town of Mackay have caused considerable concern about asbestos, notes an article in the Daily Mercury.

According to the story, homes that were flooded in Mackay, a Queensland city situated on the Pioneer River, present a serious asbestos hazard and local officials fear that residents and contractors are removing the hazardous material themselves during renovation or demolition processes. Rules in Australia state that asbestos in quantities of more than 10 square-meters should only be removed by a licensed abatement professional.

Don Pitt, general manager of Brisbane-headquartered Queensland Building Maintenance, said tradespeople and contractors working in Mackay had sent his company a “significant number” of samples to be tested for asbestos. But he believes this is just the tip of the iceberg, given the scope of damage that occurred across the city.

Mr. Pitt, whose company also acts as an independent auditor following the removal of asbestos and is a member of the Asbestos Industry Association, said any home built before 1985 was almost guaranteed to contain the deadly material.

Frank Cortis, of Cortis Demolition, a licensed asbestos abatement company, said he had been contacted by about 30 homeowners who wanted asbestos removed from their homes. However, he said, many were using contractors from Brisbane because they were offering to do the work for half the price.

“It (the removal of asbestos) has got to be done right,” he said. “I’m concerned that’s not happening in some cases.”

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