Asbestos-related diseases cause an estimated 255,000 global deaths annually and over 4,000 Australian deaths every year. It is estimated that 6.2 million tonnes of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) remains in Australian homes and industrial and commercial buildings. As asbestos in Australian urban areas deteriorates or is disturbed, the potential for exposure and asbestos-related disease deaths continues.
Experts say the asbestos is deteriorating, and with the growing frequency of extreme weather events which adds another layer of risk of airborne fibres, the chance of exposure is constantly increasing and putting lives at risk. Asbestos-related diseases account for the highest number of work-related deaths, but exposure outside of the workplace is also a growing concern.
There is limited information about the location and quantities of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) for the effective management of ACM insitu through to disposal. UACS (Urban Analytics & Complex Systems) partnered with Aerometrex to build an innovative solution for asbestos detection using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This new product provides a spatial dataset for ACM roofing. It is cost-effective, current and covers large areas at a land parcel scale. The ACM data can be used to support removal strategies, waste management planning, natural disaster planning and response, community exposure risk assessments, property valuation, insurance, urban redevelopment planning or asbestos management and removal services.
The Asbestos Roof Spatial Dataset is produced by UACS using AI models to detect ACM roofing with high-resolution aerial imagery provided by Aerometrex’s MetroMap solution. Using state-of-the-art technology, this new dataset can help effectively manage asbestos across large scales and at the land parcel resolution required. The dataset includes the land parcel with detected ACM roofs as spatial files and table data detailing the land parcel location, roof area detected and property address. Partnering with Aerometrex’s MetroMap provides UACS access to the latest aerial imagery and historical imagery for a current assessment and historical view of ACM roofing.
This product unlocks the ability to more effectively manage asbestos by:
Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA)
UACS completed a project in 2021 using its AI detection technology for the Australian Federal Government's Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA). UACS, using MetroMap aerial imagery, detected residential ACM roofing across the highest ACM concentrated areas in Australia, totalling 770 square kilometres. The Asbestos Roof Spatial Dataset contributed to the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management 2019-2023 (NSP 2019-2023).
Image: Samples of the Asbestos Roof Spatial Dataset created for ASSEA in 2021
New South Wales (NSW) Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
UACS, using Aerometrex’s MetroMap imagery, completed a project for the EPA in 2024 for the detection of industrial and commercial properties with ACM roofs. This project was initiated in response to the Wickham Woolshed fire in 2022 where over 9,000 square metres of ACM roofing were affected by an on-site fire. 687 nearby private properties, and public spaces including roads, footpaths, parks and gardens had to be cleaned of ACM remnants as the debris had travelled within the smoke plume, costing over 2 million dollars.
To better understand the risk and manage the potential for future similar incidents and community exposure, this study developed a risk assessment framework and method, called A-CERA (Asbestos Community Exposure Risk Assessment). Previously, ACM exposure risk to the community was not able to be assessed due to the absence of property-level ACM detection.
The inclusion of property-level ACM detection provides the means to support targeted property-level strategic decision-making regarding policy, governance, intervention, and the implementation of actions. The application of A-CERA resulted in identifying the location and scale of ACM at a property-level granularity across the greater metropolitan area and large regional centres across NSW. The study detected ACM at 2,512 individual ACM roof sites across 330 square kilometres, calculated total volume, mass and area, and each site was ranked from higher to lower risk of community exposure using the A-CERA method.
Image: Example of an A-CERA output using Aerometrex’s MetroMap imagery.