The Queensland Government is developing fund guidelines in consultation with the Local Government Association of Queensland that will provide information for councils on the circumstances in which they can apply for reimbursement of the costs of cleaning up priority asbestos incidents.

The fund will reimburse councils that carry out urgent rectification works where asbestos incidents have released asbestos fibres into the community. The fund is not intended for reimbursing the costs of addressing legacy asbestos issues, for instance where asbestos was historically dumped or used as landfill and is now coming to the surface due to erosion.

The Queensland Government Interagency Asbestos Group is aiming to finalise the guidelines and commence operation of the fund to align with the commencement of the indemnity for local governments under the Public Health Act 2005 later this year.