Asbestos Disposal and Who to Contact?

Written By Penny Thomson

If you have accidentally disturbed asbestos or are seeking asbestos advice, please find a reputable asbestos consultant using:

  • The Faculty of Asbestos Management Australia and New Zealand (FAMANZ): www.famanz.org

Asbestos removal / Demolition Info:

  • There are three key types of asbestos specialists involved in the management of asbestos in buildings:

    (1) Asbestos Surveyor (AS): Checks a site for the presence of asbestos and provides asbestos management recommendations following a risk assessment of the ACMs identified in the AMS.

    (2) Licensed Asbestos Removalist (LAR): Removes the asbestos from all known locations with the necessary control measures in place, and disposes of it.

    (3) Licensed Asbestos Assessor (LAA): Ensures that asbestos removal work has been completed to the required standard and provides clearance certification post Class A or B asbestos removal works (WorkSafe NZ, 2024c)

    An asbestos consultant can be an Asbestos Surveyor or an LAA, or both, BUT there should be no conflict of interest between the LAR and the asbestos consultants that could influence the result of the final clearance inspection.

  • They locate and identify asbestos and choose a survey type that is appropriate for the client’s needs. Asbestos Surveyors should collect information about your home (e.g. age of building, renovations), carry out a visual inspection and take samples of suspected ACMs. They then provide recommendations to the client in regards to future asbestos management or removal, depending on the risk status of the ACMs identified.

    Asbestos Surveyors should:

    • Be a competent person: this means they have the knowledge, experience, skills and qualifications to carry out an asbestos survey under the regulations.

    • Be knowledgeable about asbestos products, relevant building types, building components and structures that may contain asbestos, construction practices and design, understand construction plans, historic construction methods, and be aware of the unexpected places that asbestos may be located.

    • Have sufficient practical experience: a minimum of six months’ practical experience for residential asbestos management surveys, and 12 months' practical experience for commercial/industrial management demolition and refurbishment surveys (supervised by experienced and qualified personnel).

    • Hold a suitable qualification: e.g. P402 Surveying and Sampling Strategies for Asbestos in Buildings, or equivalent (Bardsley, 2015; WorkSafe NZ, 2025)

    To contact an Asbestos Surveyor, follow either link below:

    (1) Faculty of Asbestos Management of Australia and New Zealand (FAMANZ)

    Choose area of employment from drop down

    (2) New Zealand Demolition and Asbestos Association (NZDAA)

    Select “Asbestos surveys” or “Surveyor” from the list and select the location.

  • They remove asbestos from buildings. Due to the risks involved, it is very important to make sure you choose a Licensed Asbestos Removalist. LARs should have the relevant NZQA qualification, as listed on the WorkSafe NZ website – Standard 29766 (Class A asbestos removal work) or 29765 (Class B asbestos removal work) (WorkSafe NZ, 2017a).

    LARs should use the Asbestos Surveyor's report to assess the asbestos removal work that needs to be completed. They create an asbestos removal plan that specifies how they will complete the asbestos removal works safely with all the necessary control measures in place. They should contact your neighbours to let them know that removal works will take place. They should follow strict health and safety measures using specialised equipment with all the necessary control measures to remove asbestos safely without producing airborne fibres, and dispose of contaminated materials appropriately (Bardsley, 2015; WorkSafe NZ, 2017b).

    Unlicensed asbestos removal work can be carried out only if the asbestos is non-friable (Class B) and the amount being removed is no more than 10 m², or if only a minor amount of asbestos-contaminated dust is removed. However, the worker should be trained in the identification and safe handling of, and suitable control measures for asbestos and ACM.

    A Class A LAR allows for the removal of any amount of friable or non-friable asbestos, ACMs and asbestos-containing dust.

    A Class B LAR allows for the removal of any amount of non-friable asbestos and associated asbestos-contaminated dust (but not of friable Class A asbestos) (WorkSafe NZ, 2024c; Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016, 2016).

    To contact a Licensed Asbestos Removalist, follow one of the links below:

    1. WorkSafe NZ: https://services.worksafe.govt.nz/asbestos-removalist-public-register/

    2. FAMANZ: https://www.famanz.org/community-resources/member-directory/

    3. NZDAA: https://www.nzdaa.com/industry-directory

    Choose area of employment as ‘Licensed Asbestos Removalist’ from drop-down menu

    Select “Class A asbestos removal” or “Class B asbestos removal” from the list and select the location.

    Click on “Search” and then Click company name for a link to the page.

  • must stop, and they must immediately inform the client. If respirable fibres exceed the airborne contamination standard (0.1 fibres/ml of air) during Class B asbestos removal works, then the works must stop and they must immediately inform the client as the works will require extra control measures, i.e. an enclosure. Licensed Asbestos Assessors conduct clearance inspections after Class A asbestos removal work is completed to ensure asbestos concentrations do not exceed the trace level – they should provide written confirmation that an area is safe for reoccupation.

    A Licensed Asbestos Assessor should be independent of the Licensed Asbestos Removalist. They should review the asbestos removal control plan to ensure it is fit for purpose and the asbestos removal works have been adequately risk assessed with all necessary control measures in place before work starts.

    They must:

    • Have relevant industry knowledge acquired through training and experience

    • Hold a certification from an asbestos assessment training course specified by WorkSafe, or

    • Have a tertiary qualification in occupational health and safety, occupational hygiene, science or environmental health. (Bardsley, 2015; WorkSafe NZ, 2017b)

    To contact a Licensed Asbestos Assessor, follow one of the links below:

    1. Worksafe NZ: https://services.worksafe.govt.nz/asbestos-assessor-public-register/

    2. FAMANZ: https://www.famanz.org/community-resources/member-directory/

    Choose area of employment (e.g. Licensed Asbestos Assessors) from the drop-down menu.

Asbestos and asbestos-containing materials should NEVER be recycled or put into general landfill waste.

They should be removed by a qualified person, properly wrapped and secured, and taken to an approved landfill. Specific removal, preparation, and disposal procedures must be followed. This is to keep you and your community safe, as well as staff working at transfer stations, recycling centres and landfills.

The following landfills and transfer stations will accept asbestos waste from the general public, and/or approved contractors only. Please contact the facilities directly to apply for your permit/approval, confirm the procedures needed and how to securely wrap your asbestos waste.

Facilities Accepting Asbestos Waste from the General Public:

North Island

  1. Northland Waste Kerikeri, Far North

  2. Northland Regional Landfill (Whangārei), Whangārei

  3. Wairoa Landfill & Recycling Centre, Wairoa

  4. Spicer Landfill, Porirua

  5. Southern Landfill, Wellington

South Island

  1. Blenheim Hazardous Waste Centre, Marlborough

  2. Bonny Glen Landfill, Rangitīkei

  3. EcoDrop Metro Place, Christchurch

  4. Redruth Resource Recovery Park, Timaru

  5. Green Island Landfill and Resource Recovery Park, Dunedin

  6. Mount Cooee Landfill, Clutha

  7. Wānaka Transfer Station, Queenstown-Lakes

  8. Queenstown Transfer Station, Queenstown-Lakes

  9. Southern Regional Landfill, Southland

  10. Timpany Landfill, Invercargill

Contractors accepting asbestos waste from public:

  • Southern Insulation, Canterbury - (Class A and B Removal License). Can dispose of asbestos from the public for a fee, licensed with WorkSafe NZ

Facilities Accepting Asbestos Waste from Approved/Licensed Contractors Only:

North Island

  1. Northland Waste Warkworth

  2. Whitford Landfill and Energy Park, Auckland

  3. Hampton Downs Landfill, Waikato

  4. Omarunui Landfill, Napier

  5. Central Hawke's Bay District Landfill, Central Hawke's Bay

  6. Silverstream Landfill, Upper Hutt

South Island

  1. York Valley Landfill, Tasman

  2. Kate Valley Landfill, Hurunui

  3. Burnside Landfill (Nash & Ross), Dunedin

  4. Victoria Flats Landfill, Queenstown-Lakes

  5. AB Lime Ltd, Southland

If you think you have been affected

If you think you have been affected or know someone with an asbestos-related disease, contact the Mesothelioma Support and Asbestos Awareness (MSAA) Trust for support.

The MSAA Trust’s goals:

  • Connect mesothelioma patients and carers with others

  • Investigate and share treatment options available globally

  • Raise awareness of malignant mesothelioma and exposure pathways

  • Provide relevant and helpful information for those affected by mesothelioma

  • Link medical and other services in NZ

  • Advocate for better and more equitable treatment

Penny Thomson
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