There are many pathways the NSW government can take to respond to asbestos. Frameworks already exist for many of the places in which asbestos appears such as waste streams and workplace safety. But there is always room to improve and better connect existing systems together.
We can and should be ambitious in the goals we set. In 2021, the NACC launched its first strategic agenda: Asbestos in NSW: Setting the Direction 2021–2022 (Setting the Direction) to signal its ambitious goals and to drive action at a strategic level.
Setting the Direction focused work on five immediate priority areas:
The Next Horizon sets out the longer-term agenda for NSW over the next 5 years that will be driven by State, local and Commonwealth agencies participating on the NACC as well as peak bodies for local government and Aboriginal land councils. The NACC’s priorities will continue to align with the outcomes set in the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management 2019-23.
This follows on from Setting the Direction, bringing these immediate issues into a broader vision. It also provides a report back on the progress made in tackling the issues described under Setting the Direction since 2021.
