Speeches
Monday, 16 June 2025
Reception for Asbestos Diseases Society of SA’s 20th Anniversary
Rod and I warmly welcome you all to Government House.
This evening we gather to mark 20 years of the Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia.
The society began, as many do, by South Australians seeing a need in their community and rising to meet the challenge.
In this case, it was a growing need for support services for individuals and families affected by asbestos and dust-related diseases.
Twenty years later, there remains significant demand in our community for these services.
Sadly, Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in the world, due to our past heavy use of asbestos.
It’s shocking to know that 4000 Australians are diagnosed with asbestos-related disease every year, surpassing the national road toll three times.
These diagnoses touch the lives of countless Australians, including family members, friends, colleagues and the broader community.
One of my early colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – we joined the service together – died of mesothelioma.
Her father had worked in the building trade.
With 1 in 3 Australian homes still containing asbestos, which is starting to age and deteriorate, as well as the ongoing trend of DIY renovation, I thank the society for its tireless work
raising awareness of the dangers that asbestos still poses to our community.
Through partnerships with medical professionals, legal experts and government agencies, the society helps to ensure that asbestos victims receive recognition, support, and access to justice.
The society also provides psycho-social and practical support to those affected by asbestos related disease, including grief counselling, hospital and home visits, and referrals to community services.
In particular I thank Penny Jacomos, who’s worked as the sole social worker with the society since its inception.
Penny’s accounts of supporting South Australians living with asbestos related disease, which appear regularly in the society’s newsletter, put a human face to the statistics we’ve come to know so well[1].
Friends,
For 20 years, volunteers have been at the heart of your society.
I thank past and present board members, as well as Finance Officer Julie Allerton - all volunteers - for your generous contributions of time, energy and expertise.
I thank the society’s ambassadors and patrons for using their public platforms to raise awareness of asbestos-related dangers, and to advocate for those with asbestos-related disease.
And, I thank those of you who have supported the society financially over the years.
Congratulations to the Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia for 20 years of meaningful impact in our community.
I wish you all the very best for the future, especially with your plans to further your reach into regional South Australia, as we work together to eradicate asbestos-related disease in our state and nation.