Dunsborough local warns renovators about asbestos risk

Asbestos is still hidden in homes, sheds and fences across the country, and Dunsborough local Corrine Naisbitt is urging renovators, tradies and property owners to think twice before disturbing it.

During National Asbestos Awareness Week, 24 to 30 November, Corrine is sharing her story to highlight the deadly risks that still exist in homes built before 1990.

“Asbestos is still everywhere. If your house was built before 1990, it could be in the walls, the fence, the shed, the bathroom. People think it’s a thing of the past, but it’s not. It’s still here and it’s still dangerous,” Corrine said.

Corrine’s husband Richard died in 2019 after a five-year battle with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by asbestos exposure. His exposure happened over decades – on renovation sites, in shearing sheds, and while doing DIY jobs on old buildings.

“Back then we didn’t know the dangers of asbestos. Richard and I were doing what everyone else did. Cutting through fibro fencing, fixing up houses. We even joked once about looking like snowmen because we were covered in white dust,” she said.

That dust was deadly.

Richard’s diagnosis in 2014 changed everything. He was told he had 12 to 14 months to live but made it five years, thanks to determination, treatment and community support.

“Every extra day was a gift. But I wouldn’t wish what we went through on anyone,” Corrine said.

Now Corrine sits on the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases Consumer Advisory Panel, sharing her lived experience with researchers and decision-makers.

“I speak up to honour Richard, and to protect others. If you’re about to renovate an older home, stop and think. Don’t just start ripping things out. It’s not worth the risk,” she said.

This year’s National Asbestos Awareness Week theme is Think Twice About Asbestos. The campaign urges people to pause before they disturb any material that could contain asbestos and to get professionals involved.

“You can’t see asbestos fibres. You can’t smell them. You can’t DIY your way around it. It only takes a little exposure to cause a lifetime of damage,” Corrine said.

She wants Australians to understand that the risk is real, even in homes that feel familiar.

“Richard was my husband, my best friend, my soulmate. He died because we didn’t know. I don’t want anyone else to find out the hard way,” she said.

Her message to the community this week is clear. “Think twice before you renovate. Stay safe and leave it to the experts,” Corrine said.

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