The Museum Case
In May 2025, the Auckland War Memorial Museum closed sections of its north side — including Te Marae Ātea Māori Court, the Pacific Galleries, and the Grand Foyer — for specialist asbestos removal from the building’s 1929 roofing materials. Chief Executive David Reeves confirmed that the closure followed the discovery of asbestos during planned renewal work: “We have undertaken a stringent cleaning and testing protocol and been given complete reassurance that we can reopen these spaces safely.” The museum represents the kind of challenge that confronts anyone working on pre-1990 buildings: asbestos was a standard construction material for much of the twentieth century, and its presence in heritage structures is the rule rather than the exception.
The Regulatory Framework
New Zealand’s Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 impose specific duties on property owners, employers, and contractors in relation to asbestos in workplaces — a definition that includes schools, public buildings, and heritage sites. Properties likely to contain asbestos require management plans identifying known or assumed asbestos-containing material, monitoring procedures, and exposure control measures. WorkSafe must be notified at least five working days before any licensed asbestos removal work begins.
Not all asbestos requires immediate removal. WorkSafe’s guidance is clear: undamaged asbestos-containing material in good condition can be managed through regular inspection and clear labelling rather than disturbance and removal. The risk arises when the material is disturbed — by maintenance work, renovation, or deterioration — releasing fibres that, when inhaled, cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Asbestos remains New Zealand’s leading work-related killer, accounting for over 220 deaths annually.
The Removal Process
For friable asbestos or high-risk removal situations, licensed asbestos removalists are required. The process includes:
- Pre-removal laboratory testing to confirm the presence, type, and extent of asbestos
- Sealing affected areas with negative pressure enclosures to prevent fibre migration
- Personal protective equipment for all workers, including P3 respirators and disposable coveralls
- Careful dismantling of asbestos-containing material into double-bagged sealed containers
- HEPA-filter vacuum cleaning of all surfaces in the work area
- Continuous air monitoring throughout removal operations
Clearance and Disposal
Independent air quality clearance testing — conducted by a party separate from the removalist — must confirm that airborne fibre concentrations are below the clearance threshold before any public, staff, student, or resident access resumes. Asbestos waste is transported in sealed containers to approved hazardous waste facilities, following specific transport and disposal protocols. The Auckland War Memorial Museum example demonstrates that the process is manageable for even the most sensitive heritage contexts — but it requires genuine expertise, appropriate resources, and rigorous independent verification at each stage.
