In the mid 2010s, the benign sounding ‘Mr Fluffy’ became a household name in the ACT and parts of New South Wales, as asbestos was discovered remaining in homes where asbestos-containing loose fill insulation had been installed by the company of that name during the 1960s and 1970s.
The discovery was all the more shocking as a 1990s government eradication program had assured the affected homeowners that their homes had been rid of asbestos.
A decade later, we’re now in a position where the loose fill asbestos insulation issue is being resolved – but only at the expense and inconvenience of acquiring and demolishing hundreds of affected homes.
Why is loose fill insulation deadly?
Loose-fill insulation is a particular concern for asbestos exposure because, as the name implies, it’s a loosely packed form of asbestos which makes it easy for fibres to circulate in the air. In other words, it’s an inherently friable form of asbestos with a high level of toxicity.
With loose-fill insulation, as with other forms of friable asbestos, there is nothing to prevent fibres becoming airborne. It therefore poses a much greater risk than bonded forms of asbestos like fibro in two ways: it’s easier to breathe in asbestos fibres if you go up into your ceiling, and its also easier for fibres to drift from the ceiling to other parts of your house.
Governments forced to take action
As the scandal progressed, both the ACT Government and NSW Government were forced to take increasingly serious action. The conclusion reached was that this particular form of asbestos was so difficult to eradicate that there was no adequate form of remediation short of demolishing the affected houses. In the end, both governments launched buyback schemes (with financing from the Australian Government extending to $1 billion in ACT’s case).
Many of the affected houses have already been demolished, and both the ACT and NSW have ongoing programs to clean up the rest.
Loose fill asbestos discovered in Victoria
Meanwhile, in late 2023, there was a sign that the Mr Fluffy saga was not yet over: a small group of properties containing the company’s loose fill insulation were discovered in regional Victoria. The Victorian government is understood to be considering a buyback and demolition scheme similar to that undertaken in the ACT and NSW.
The Mr Fluffy legacy
In a sign of the saga’s deep impact on the ACT community, a forest shelter has opened at the National Arboretum in Canberra as a ‘place of reflection’ to remember the impact of loose fill asbestos on the lives of Canberrans.
At Airsafe, we hope another ongoing legacy of the Mr Fluffy saga will be a greater awareness among Australians of the dangers of asbestos and the need to avoid complacency about its eradication.
If you have concerns about loose fill insulation or any other type of asbestos, call Airsafe on 1300 888 338 to talk about our asbestos services including surveys, testing and air monitoring.
