Calls are intensifying for a nationwide, independent asbestos audit of government construction projects following alarming revelations of contaminated building materials discovered in high-profile public infrastructure.

The latest incident emerged at Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) new Perth CBD campus, where testing reportedly confirmed asbestos contamination in imported fire doors. The discovery has sparked widespread concern across the construction, education and public-safety sectors—especially given the campus is a flagship state development scheduled to welcome thousands of students in 2026.

This case follows a series of asbestos contamination scares in public facilities over recent years, including hospitals, schools, transport infrastructure and community buildings. Safety specialists warn that the recurrence of such incidents is not coincidental, but rather a symptom of systemic gaps in Australia’s product-procurement safeguards.

Industry experts, unions and asbestos-awareness advocates are now urging federal and state governments to fund and implement a coordinated, nationally consistent audit of recent construction projects—particularly those using imported building products. They argue that procurement processes remain vulnerable to sub-standard materials entering the supply chain, often due to insufficient verification, inconsistent testing protocols and limited enforcement of import controls.

“Asbestos has been banned in Australia for two decades, yet contaminated products continue to slip through,” said one workplace-safety expert. “Until we have a national audit and a stronger compliance regime, we are leaving workers, students and the public exposed to completely avoidable risk.”

Advocates are also calling for mandatory third-party certification of high-risk building components, stronger border checks, and harsher penalties for suppliers found to have imported or distributed contaminated goods. Several groups are urging governments to adopt modern digital product-tracking tools to ensure materials installed in public buildings can be verified and monitored long-term.

With major construction programs underway across Australia—including schools, hospitals, transport hubs and defence facilities—stakeholders warn that delaying action may amplify future health, legal and financial consequences.

A federal response has not yet been announced, but pressure is growing for a coordinated approach that restores public confidence in the safety of government-funded infrastructure.