Nambucca Valley Council Corporate Asbestos Management Framework (2025)
Client: Nambucca Valley Council
Project Type: Property & Buildings
Douglas Partners was selected in early 2025 via the NSW Local Government Procurement Panel to lead a comprehensive review and development of the Corporate Asbestos Management Framework for Nambucca Valley Council, located in the Mid North Coast region of NSW. The Council needed to ensure full alignment with key statutory obligations under the NSW Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation, including:
- Regulation 425 – establishment and maintenance of an Asbestos Register
- Regulation 429 – development and implementation of an Asbestos Management Plan
This strategic initiative underscores the Council’s commitment to safe, healthy, compliant asset and land management across its 1,491 km² local government area.
Why undertake this framework?
- To ensure Council assets, operations and land use comply fully with WHS regulations related to asbestos.
- To proactively manage risks associated with Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) across approx. 18,500 hectares of Council‑managed land identified on the NSW Government’s SEED platform.
What did Council aim to achieve?
- An accurate, accessible asbestos register
- A robust corporate policy aligned with NSW model standards
- Clear safe work method guidance for staff and contractors
- A digital tool for easier access and ongoing use
Who delivered it?
A multidisciplinary team of qualified, licenced asbestos assessors and occupational hygienists backed by Douglas Partners’ expert practitioners and NATA‑accredited labs.
Scope & approach
Douglas Partners adopted a risk‑based, systematic approach, combining field audits, laboratory analysis, digital tool and strategic documentation:
Safety Management Plan
- Designed to reflect the project’s specific risk profile, covering field sampling, inspections, documentation and site controls.
Asset and site inspections
- Conducted audits across >100 Council assets, including high-risk infrastructure and public facilities.
Laboratory analysis
- Over 280 samples analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory to confirm asbestos type, condition and distribution.
Digital asbestos register tool
- Delivered an enhanced Windows‑based tool enabling quick search, navigation and record-keeping of asbestos register data.
Corporate policy and plan
- Developed a Corporate Asbestos Management Policy, based on the NSW Government Model Asbestos Policy for councils.
- Delivered a Corporate Asbestos Management Plan aligned with WHS Regulation 429, outlining procedures, responsibilities, monitoring, training, and incident response.
Safe Work Method Statements
- Created tailored SWMS for key Council operations that may disturb asbestos or NOA, supporting safer occupational practices.
NOA (Naturally Occurring Asbestos) area management
Project outcomes & benefits
- Enhanced regulatory compliance
Council now has a compliant Asbestos Register and Management Plan fulfilling Regulation 425 and 429 requirements under the WHS Regulation, reducing legal risk and ensuring safer workplaces.
- Improved safety and risk control
Through detailed inspections, lab verification, SWMS and a digital management tool, staff, contractors and visitors are protected from asbestos exposure across Council‑managed infrastructure and land.
- Operational clarity & consistency
The formal Corporate Policy and structured SWMS deliver clear guidance and consistent decision‑making across Council operations.
- Digital transformation foundations
The Windows‑based register tool gives Council a base for future digitisation and workflow modernisation, improving accessibility, data sharing and reporting.
- NOA landscape management
Active planning and controls for NOA‑affected land ensure disturbance activities follow best practice safety guidance and Council maintains compliance with NSW government NOA management recommendations.
Strategic value & significance
This project highlights Douglas Partners’ integrated approach combining laboratory science, regulatory compliance and digital tools. With over 60 years of subsurface investigation data and 14 labs across Australia, we can deliver evidence‑based strategies that serve large councils with complex land portfolios.
For Nambucca Valley Council, the framework means:
- A defensible and data-rich asbestos management system
- Reduced operational and community health risks
- A credible foundation for future digital transition and continuous improvement
Following successful delivery, Nambucca Valley Council is actively exploring modernisation of asbestos management activities.
Key takeaways for similar organisations
For councils, developers, or infrastructure agencies facing asbestos compliance needs, this project offers practical lessons:
- Start with a risk‑based audit of all assets and land parcels
- Use qualified, experienced and licenced assessors and accredited labs for data credibility
- Deliver accessible systems: digital tools > relying on spreadsheets
- Align policies with official NSW model policy documents
- Address both asbestos-containing materials (ACM) used in construction and Naturally Occurring Asbestos in land use zones
- Plan ahead for continuous improvement: digitisation, alerts, training.
Technical & regulatory context
Under NSW WHS Regulation:
- Regulation 425 requires that all workplaces maintain an up-to-date asbestos register—covering building materials and impacted land.
- Regulation 429 requires a formal Asbestos Management Plan (AMP), covering risk controls, training, emergency procedures and record‑keeping.
Douglas Partners’ asbestos services align with national guidance.
To learn more about AMP, download our free AMP guide here which outlines steps like hazard identification, risk assessment, stakeholder responsibilities, monitoring and review processes.
Council’s Model Asbestos Policy and associated NSW resources recommend a comprehensive approach, including strategic planning, identification and mapping of NOA, and operational risk controls to support long‑term asbestos management and compliance.
If your organisation is managing risk across assets or land potentially impacted by asbestos, ACM or Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA), Douglas Partners can help. We offer:
- Licence‑based assessments and lab services
- Custom asbestos register tools and frameworks
- Technical specifications for abatement
- Management plans, SWMS, and corporate policy development
- Guidance on digital transformation for asbestos compliance
Reach out to us via our Contact page to discuss how we can tailor a solution to your needs.
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