LODDON Shire residents are being urged to be asbestos aware when considering making home improvements.
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Mayor Neil Beattie said a "huge percentage" of the shire's residents lived in older homes and were encouraged to seek reliable information about the risks of disturbing asbestos products.
The warning comes during November's Asbestos Awareness Month.
Cr Beattie said asbestos was an ever-present danger, with one in three Australian homes containing asbestos in some form or another.
"Many people wrongly believe that only fibro homes contain asbestos but this couldn’t be further from the truth," he said.
"If left undisturbed asbestos generally doesn’t pose a health risk but when disturbed during renovations and home maintenance, asbestos fibres can be released into the air and inhaled, causing life-threatening diseases.
"Asbestos containing products may be found in and around any brick, weatherboard, fibro or clad homes built or renovated before 1987."
The advice follows previous council warnings to residents to refrain from dumping asbestos at landfill sites across the municipality.
The toxic substance was discovered at one of council's four landfill sites during a routine inspection by the Environmental Protection Authority earlier this year.
Exposure to asbestos may cause a range of illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer and a cancer called mesothelioma.
Medical studies have also suggested links between asbestos exposure and other cancers, including those of the gastrointestinal tract, throat, kidney, brain, bladder, voice box, and gallbladder.
Residents wanting to find out more about asbestos containing products, where they might be found and how to manage and dispose of asbestos safely should visit www.asbestosawareness.com.au to take the 20 point safety check.