April 4th, 2006

The New South Wales government has revealed its intention to build a new facility in Sydney for research into asbestos related diseases. The decision of the government was recently announced and has been widely welcomed among victims of asbestos related disease as well as consumer groups and professionals involved with patients.

The cost of the center, which will focus on research into this type of disease, is likely to be around $7 million. Funding for the center has been provided through a number of sources, including the state government’s Dust Diseases Board, and also Workcover.

Around 350 new cases of asbestos related disease come to light every year in New South Wales, and experts think it will be several decades before this figure starts to fall. One asbestos victim stated: "It gives us hope that in the future, we'll have opportunity to have early diagnosis and into the future, a cure."

It is likely to take around seven years for the project to be completed, and the center will be based at the site of the Concord Hospital