Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The presence of mould in dwellings throughout Australia is a significant health issue. On the Central Coast, it is an escalating problem affecting many people, particularly those living in social housing and rental properties. In New South Wales, there are businesses involved with the removal of mould and the remediation of properties that are affected by it. Concerningly, there is minimal regulation that specifies the correct removal of mould and remediation of properties that are affected by this health hazard. This is leading to several businesses performing ineffective and inadequate mould removal and remediation services for property owners and their tenants. This omission of policy is impacting the lives of thousands of people across New South Wales, including in my home electorate of Robertson.

I recently met with Gaelle Pincemin and Camilla Thompson from MouldSafe, an extraordinary organisation helping people impacted by mould. They educated me on the correct processes to effectively remove mould and remediate properties. Unfortunately, we have a range of cowboy companies that do not remove mould or remediate properties effectively, which results in the mould growing back faster and in a worse state.

Gaelle and Camilla informed me about an experience they had with a real estate agent who was not prepared to undertake the appropriate work to remove mould affecting a property on the Central Coast. The mould had infiltrated the property to such a degree of severity that it caused a newborn baby to be hospitalised and the property to be assessed as uninhabitable. Gaelle and Camilla assessed the property and let the agent know that, first and foremost, the property required remediation once the leaking tap was fixed. The water from this tap had seeped through two floors of the property, causing ideal conditions for that mould to grow. Additionally, the property then required effective mould removal, which included using state-of-the-art mechanical equipment. Following this process, a wash and wipe-down with an antimicrobial solution was to be performed. The agent chose to ignore Gaelle and Camilla's professional advice and opted for a cheap $700 service from a cowboy company. This left the property susceptible to mould regrowing, jeopardising the health of the tenants again.

Following on from my meeting with MouldSafe, Gaelle and Camilla are calling for much-needed regulations to be implemented to better protect tenants and property owners from the effects of mould. They are calling for regulations that stipulate health and safety standards for the mould removal sector, quality control to make sure effective work is being done, hardship supports for vulnerable people, proper environmental disposal processes, training and certification of businesses, and process standardisation across the sector. I've made these representations on behalf of MouldSafe to the New South Wales government, and I look forward to its response on this developing issue. I thank Gaelle Pincemin and Camilla Thompson for their advocacy and work in this area.