Victims of an asbestos-related disease caused by living in a former Mr Fluffy home in the ACT will be eligible for financial support through a support scheme jointly funded by the ACT and Commonwealth Governments.
The $16 million scheme will provide support for medical and health expenses and other costs for Canberrans experiencing the harshest impacts of the ‘Mr Fluffy’ legacy.
“This Scheme is an important next step in the government’s response to the legacy of Mr Fluffy. The Scheme is designed to provide comprehensive and timely support to enable recipients and their families to receive the treatment and care they need, when they need it most,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
“I want to recognise the advocacy of Mr James Wallner and his family, which led to the establishment of this scheme. Mr Wallner sadly passed away after being diagnosed with mesothelioma last year.”
In addition to financial support to cover out-of-pocket medical costs, the Scheme also makes available up to $8,500 per year for family members who are carers and lump sum payments for dependants. Payments are also available for care and household services, home and vehicle modifications, and loss of income.
In some circumstances, applicants and their family may receive payments for psychological support services and expenses in relation to funeral costs.
Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction, Rebecca Vassarotti, welcomed the scheme.
“The experience of dealing with loose fill asbestos has been devastating for many families in Canberra, who have suffered from health, wellbeing and financial impacts. While a key focus of the Asbestos Recovery Taskforce has been in removing the community risk to properties contaminated by Mr Fluffy, supporting people through this process has been at the centre of the ACT Government’s response.
“I would like to extend my thank to advocates and the work of the community reference group who continue to advise the ACT Government on how we can best support the human impacts of this situation,” Ms Vassarotti said.
The Scheme will start accepting applications from today and allow people, or their family dependants, to make claims for diseases diagnosed from January 2014.
More information about the Scheme is available here.
This follows an announcement yesterday by the National Capital Authority that Acton Peninsula had been fenced off after asbestos was found on a walking track near the National Museum of Australia.
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