Asbestos licence classes explained, and how to check a contractor is licensed

Asbestos is the single biggest regulatory factor shaping the Australian demolition and renovation industry, and it stays relevant on almost any pre-2004 building regardless of how straightforward the rest of the job looks. Understanding the licence classes involved, and how to check a contractor actually holds the right one, is genuinely useful before you get quotes rather than something to work out afterwards.

The starting point for why this matters at all is the ban timeline. Australia banned the use and import of blue and brown asbestos in the mid-1980s, and then a total ban on the manufacture, use, reuse, import, transport, storage and sale of all forms of asbestos took effect on 31 December 2003. That ban stopped new asbestos entering the market, but it did nothing to remove what was already installed in existing buildings — commonly cited estimates put around 6.2 million tonnes of asbestos-containing material still present in Australia's built environment, with roughly one in three homes estimated to contain some, which is why the licensing system described below still matters on so many properties today.

Licensed asbestos removal work sits in two classes. A Class B licence covers the removal of more than 10 square metres of non-friable, or bonded, asbestos-containing material, along with any contaminated dust or debris from that removal — non-friable material holds its asbestos fibres within a solid product, such as older fibre cement sheeting. A Class A licence is the broader of the two: it covers the removal of any amount of friable asbestos, meaning material that can be crumbled to powder by hand when dry, and a Class A licence holder is also authorised to carry out Class B work. Removing 10 square metres or less of non-friable material does not require a licence in most jurisdictions, but the work still has to be carried out using proper safe work procedures rather than treated as exempt from any standard at all — which is a large part of why professional advice, rather than assumption, is the sensible starting point even for a small job.

Who actually issues and manages these licences depends on where the work is happening, and that is genuinely a state-by-state matter rather than a single national system. Safe Work Australia's model WHS Regulations set the underlying framework — including duties around demolition licensing, notification, and identifying and removing asbestos before demolition — and most states and territories have adopted a version of these model laws, each enforced by its own regulator, among them SafeWork NSW, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, WorkSafe WA, SafeWork SA and WorkSafe Tasmania. Victoria is the exception: it has not adopted the national model WHS laws and instead runs its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, administered by WorkSafe Victoria, with broadly similar duties described using OHS rather than WHS terminology. This means the licence itself, and the register you would check it against, differs depending on the state the work is taking place in.

Before licensed removal work can start, the removalist also has to give the relevant regulator written notice, and how much notice varies. In New South Wales, a licensed removalist must give SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days' written notice before starting. In Victoria, the standard notice period is also around 5 days, but a shorter 24-hour notice applies specifically where 10 square metres or less of non-friable material is being removed. These specific periods and thresholds are worth confirming directly with the regulator in the state where your project is happening, since it is exactly the kind of detail that does not transfer cleanly from one state to another.

Given all of this, checking a contractor's licence before engaging them for any asbestos-related work is a reasonable, straightforward step rather than excessive caution. It is fair to ask for their licence number and class, and to confirm that class actually matches the type and quantity of material involved in your job, along with asking whether an asbestos assessment or survey has been arranged for the property. This article is general information about how the licensing system works, not instructions for identifying or removing asbestos yourself, and any suspected asbestos-containing material should be assessed and handled by a suitably licensed professional. Our directory lists licensed Australian asbestos removalists and demolition contractors by area if you are ready to compare your options.

Frequently asked questions