Australia | Court imposes $400,000 fine for asbestos violations at renovation site

July 15, 2025

WorkSafe ACT | Dream Haus Pty Ltd. has been convicted of two Category 2 offences by the ACT Industrial Court Magistrate, resulting in a $400,000 penalty.

An ex-parte hearing concerning Dream Haus has resulted in two guilty verdicts for Category 2 offences under the Work Health and Safety Act.

The charges relate to a serious incident on 2 November 2022, during which Dream Haus engaged in renovation works at a property in Chapman, ACT, disrupting materials containing asbestos. The court found the company failed to comply with its health and safety duties, placing workers and the public at risk.

During sentencing, Magistrate Lawton stated that “there are aggravating features with both… lack of communication was a main factor in both charges… not following their own safe work method statement (SWMS).”

He further noted that “the use of asbestos materials was in construction throughout the ACT for many years, and the costs of preliminary testing is low.”

— Accurate at time of publication | July 2025

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