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Safe and healthy buildings

Manage asbestos

The Queensland Government protects the health and wellbeing of workers, contractors and the community by ensuring asbestos-containing materials are managed safely and appropriately.

Government departments are responsible for many assets that service Queenslanders, including buildings (workplaces and domestic premises), land, vehicles, vessels, infrastructure, plant and equipment.

Our long-term objective is that all assets that departments manage or control are free of asbestos-containing materials.

Until then, we'll manage all asbestos-containing materials in our assets appropriately to protect the people who occupy, service and visit our assets from exposure to respirable asbestos fibres.

Asbestos management policy

Our ongoing commitment to effective asbestos management is supported by the Queensland Government Asbestos Management Policy for its Assets (PDF, 559.2 KB) .

The policy:

  • applies to all government departments
  • applies to all asset types, including land, as asbestos can be found in more than just buildings
  • is supported by these Implementation Standards:
    • Minimum Requirements for Asbestos Management (Implementation Standard 1)
    • Minimum Asbestos Register Data (Implementation Standard 2)
  • requires asbestos in government residential housing (e.g. employee housing, social housing) to be managed to a standard higher than the equivalent statutory requirements for privately-owned residential housing
  • does not apply to government-owned corporations, statutory bodies and statutory authorities (excluding hospitals) or other government entities. However, they may apply the policy by choice or at the direction of their administering minister or department.

Read more about managing asbestos, licensing, legislative requirements and practical guidance.

Implementation Standards

Built Environment Materials Information Register (BEMIR)

Departments must record specific data relating to asbestos in the asbestos register(s) for their workplace buildings.

QBuild is a business unit of the Queensland Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works that provides a range of asbestos management services to departments. This includes managing the BEMIR system, which provides a multi-department asbestos register for its clients and complies with policy requirements.

Departments can access the Built Environment Materials Information Register (BEMIR). You need a login and password for access.

More information

Resources

For more information, email BCMSecretariat@epw.qld.gov.au.

Last updated:
7 August 2024