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The short answer
Treat an old fibro fence as asbestos until a test says otherwise. In NSW, a business must hold a Class A or B asbestos removal licence to remove "more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos" (WHS Regulation 2025 s 487), and by our arithmetic a 1.8 m sheet fence passes 10 m² at about 5.6 m long. Never water-blast, cut or snap the sheets. A licensed removalist takes the old fence away; then the new fence goes in.
How to tell if a fence may contain asbestos
The NSW Government's asbestos site says corrugated fibre cement sheets "were widely used in Australia for roofing, shed walls, and fencing", gives their period of manufacture as "Pre 1985", and warns that sheets "made (without asbestos) since 1985 look similar". The Australian Government's product register lists asbestos cement fencing "Prior to 1990", with Super Six, Durabestos, Deep Six and Master Seven among the brands.
So a fibro fence put up before about 1990 may contain asbestos, and you can't tell by looking. A test by a NATA-accredited laboratory is the only way to be sure; a licensed asbestos assessor can take a piece for testing.
When a licensed asbestos removalist is needed
Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025, a business must not remove "more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos or ACM" without a Class B (or Class A) asbestos removal licence (s 487). Friable asbestos, the kind that crumbles to dust by hand, needs a Class A licence in any amount. A fencing licence covers neither.
By our arithmetic, one run of 1.8 m high sheets passes 10 m² at about 5.6 m long (1.8 × 5.6 = 10.08 m²), and a 15 m side fence is about 27 m². So replacing a whole fibro dividing fence is licensed removal work.
Homeowners: the NSW asbestos site says "Unlicensed asbestos removal is legal in your own home, but we recommend you leave it to the licensed professionals." Under the Codes SEPP (cl 1.16), a fence job that removes more than 10 m² of bonded asbestos, or any friable asbestos, stops being exempt development unless a licensed removalist does the removal.
What not to do with an old fibro fence
- Don't water-blast it or use compressed air on it: businesses are banned from both on asbestos (WHS Regulation s 446), and the NSW asbestos site tells homeowners not to water blast.
- Don't cut, drill, sand or snap the sheets. Power tools can only be used on asbestos in controlled ways.
- Don't put broken pieces in a household bin: asbestos goes only to a facility that accepts it, wrapped to its rules.
- If sheets are broken, keep people and pets away, dampen them down and cover them with plastic sealed so no dust escapes, then call a licensed removalist.
Asbestos disposal in Maitland and Cessnock
A licensed removalist normally takes the old fence to a facility licensed to accept asbestos. If you move household asbestos yourself, the NSW EPA's WasteLocate says that for "over 100 kilograms or 10 square metres", the person transporting it must make a consignment, so start it before you move the load.
- Maitland Resource Recovery Facility, 109 Mount Vincent Road, East Maitland: asbestos is accepted on Wednesdays and Fridays only, weather permitting, booked with the weighbridge (02 4934 1888) ahead of delivery. It must be wrapped in two layers of 0.2 mm builders plastic, sealed with tape, in bundles no more than 0.5 m high; loads that don't meet the rules are rejected (council guide, June 2025).
- Cessnock Waste Management Centre, 1967 Old Maitland Road, Cessnock: book on (02) 4993 4366 at least a day ahead, double-wrapped in at least 200 micron plastic sealed with heavy-duty tape (council page).
Replacing a fibro fence
If it's a dividing fence, the new fence is fencing work under the Dividing Fences Act, so neighbours usually share a sufficient replacement after a fencing notice. We found no NSW guidance on how the removal cost itself is shared, so agree it in writing. See dividing fences, and the Colorbond and timber cost guides for the new fence.
Old fence and fibro removal prices
| Removal | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Removing the old fence (Sydney) | add $15 – $30 per m | North Shore Fencing and Gates |
| Removing the old fence (NSW) | $20 – $40 per m, more if asbestos | The Quote Yard |
| Licensed removal and disposal of fibro (NSW) | $80 – $150 per m | The Quote Yard |
Checked 28 October 2026. North Shore Fencing and Gates is a Sydney contractor (2025 guide, GST included); The Quote Yard is a NSW quote marketplace (14 August 2026, GST not stated). No Hunter asbestos removalist publishes a fence price.
Questions about fibro fences and asbestos
Is an old fibro fence dangerous?
The NSW asbestos site says the sheets are hard and brittle and "Over time, they can deteriorate and release small amounts of asbestos fibres." Breaking, cutting or water-blasting them makes it worse, so leave sound sheets alone and have damaged ones assessed.
Can I remove a fibro fence myself?
In your own home it's legal, but the NSW asbestos site recommends leaving it to licensed professionals. A business removing more than 10 m² needs a Class B licence, and a 1.8 m fence passes that at about 5.6 m long, by our arithmetic.
How do I know if my fence has asbestos?
You can't by looking: fibre cement sheets made without asbestos since the mid-1980s look similar. Have a piece tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory.
Does the fencing contractor remove the asbestos?
Only if they also hold an asbestos removal licence; a fencing licence doesn't cover it. Usually a licensed removalist takes the old fence away and the fencing contractor builds the new one.
Where can I take asbestos in Maitland?
The Maitland Resource Recovery Facility on Mount Vincent Road, East Maitland, on Wednesdays and Fridays only, booked with the weighbridge ahead of delivery and wrapped to the council's rules.
Do I need council approval to remove an asbestos fence?
Under the Codes SEPP, exempt development must not involve removing more than 10 m² of bonded asbestos or any friable asbestos, unless a licensed removalist does the removal. In a heritage conservation area, removing a fence isn't exempt demolition at all.
Where these figures come from
The prices and rules on this page come from these published pages, checked on 28 October 2026.
- NSW Government: corrugated cement sheet and asbestos (Super Six) · asbestos.nsw.gov.au, NSW Government asbestos information site
- NSW Government: asbestos in the home · asbestos.nsw.gov.au, NSW Government asbestos information site
- Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency: asbestos cement fencing · Australian Government product register, undated
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) · NSW legislation: s 446 (no high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos), s 487 (licence for more than 10 m²); version in force from 3 October 2025
- SafeWork NSW: unlicensed removal (less than 10 m² non-friable asbestos) · SafeWork NSW, undated
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 · NSW planning policy: cl 1.16, 2.25, 2.30AA–2.30AB, 2.33–2.36, 3.29; read from the version in force from 31 October 2025
- Maitland City Council: guide to safe disposal of asbestos · Maitland Resource Recovery Facility guide, June 2025
- NSW EPA: WasteLocate for householders · NSW Environment Protection Authority, undated
- Cessnock City Council: disposal of asbestos waste · Council waste page, fees labelled 2026/27
- The Quote Yard: fencing costs NSW 2026 · NSW quote-comparison marketplace (it doesn't do trade work itself), price guide published 14 August 2026; GST not stated
- North Shore Fencing and Gates: fencing cost guide Sydney 2025 · Sydney fencing contractor (Lindfield), price guide titled 2025; "all quoted prices include GST"
