Abstract
Asbestos in Australian homes is getting older and degrading, increasing the risk that harmful fibres are released.
In partnership with the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA), BETA surveyed over 4,400 owners of homes built before 1990, to determine which financial incentives would encourage them to proactively remove asbestos from their properties.
Of the incentives we tested in a discrete choice experiment, homeowners strongly preferred grants – but grants can have economic downsides, like cost inflation. Loans and tax offsets appeared to be marginally effective. Homeowners are likely to respond to programs that clearly communicate their concrete financial benefits.
Our survey revealed that although costs vary widely and can be prohibitive, most homeowners could afford many asbestos removal jobs. Clearly communicating the likely price, process and benefits may clarify that asbestos removal is achievable.
Many homeowners do not know if their property contains asbestos or not. Furthermore, many are not motivated to find out. Incentives that encourage discovery may lead to an increase in asbestos removal rates.
While many homeowners indicated that health concerns would increase their willingness to remove asbestos, our survey also revealed that in practice most homeowners remove asbestos only when renovating. Asbestos removal incentives could be packaged with support for other types of home upgrades (like energy efficiency or disaster preparedness).