Do land developers need asbestos testing?

Especially in the case of large homes built on big sections, land and property developers often demolish the old homes and rebuild new ones – or a number of units in one section. 

The question is: Do land developers need to carry out asbestos testing on these purchases, even if they plan to immediately demolish the existing home?

Asbestos testing and property development 

Whether you’re a land developer or have purchased a property with plans to demolish it and build a new family home, it’s very likely you will need to have it tested for asbestos. 

According to WorkSafe New Zealand, the Asbestos Regulations state that a business or undertaking must identify asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACM) before any demolition (or refurbishment) work can take place if: 

• It was built before January 1 2000 or
• Asbestos has been identified in the past or
• Asbestos is likely to be present 

Considering most property developers looking to demolish existing structures prior to rebuilding have purchased older homes, then the Asbestos Regulations will apply. This is because many homes built prior to the year 2000 in New Zealand used asbestos in the building materials, so it is likely to be present. 

That means it is your duty to identify any asbestos before demolition work takes place. In cases where it is not reasonably practicable to determine if asbestos is present, the rules state you must assume that it is present in order to take the right precautions just in case. 

What to do if you find asbestos in your property planned for demolition 

If asbestos testing returns a positive result, you are required to carry out safe asbestos removal before the demolition work begins. 

The only exception to this rule is if demolition is necessary in order to gain access to the asbestos. 

Only professional asbestos removalists can carry out this work. It takes the appropriate certifications, protective equipment, skills, and experience to safely remove asbestos without putting workers or site visitors at risk. 

Even though asbestos testing and removal adds extra steps to your land development plans, it is necessary for legal purposes and to safeguard your own health, and that of anyone working or living on the site. 

PRO Environmental Services offers expert asbestos removal services in New Zealand. Our teams cover the greater Wellington region, as well as up to the Waikato and Gisborne, and down into the South Island and Marlborough and the West Coast. We are also a Grade A certified removalist, which means we can remove both friable and non-friable asbestos. 

So if you’ve purchased a property with the intent to develop the land and need to remove any asbestos as quickly and efficiently as possible, PRO Environmental Services can help. We are experts in getting the job done quickly and safely, and will be happy to work with your timeframe to finish the project. Contact us today for a free quote for asbestos removal, or to learn more about our services.