Following recommendation from the Commission of Audit, the Federal Government has announced in its budget that it intends to axe the only Commonwealth body tasked with managing asbestos concerns. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency was established in 2013 after the Labour motion received support from both sides of politics. The Agency was established to provide an independent, national agency... in the fight against asbsestos diseases, providing a strong, focused, consistent, co-ordinated national approach to improved asbestos education and removal activities. The Agency is now set to be abolished, with no indication from the Government that a replacement will be implemented. The removal leaves many families in the dark as to how to overcome the legacy of decades of asbestos use throughout Australia. The closure of the Agency will not affect the potential entitlements of sufferers of asbestos-related illnesses, as the compensation schemes are state run and managed. If you or someone you know has developed an illness following asbestos exposure, we invite you to contact one of our expert injury lawyers on (03) 9321 9988.