As development ramps up in the region, Local Government NSW and the NAMOI Unlimited joint organisation have invited all councils in the region to learn how to safely remove asbestos.

The danger is that once broken up, the fibres are 50 to 200 times thinner than human hair and once breathed into the lungs can cause serious health problems.

Australia was one of the highest users of asbestos pre-1990, NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee chair Carolyn Walsh said.

"Asbestos can be safe as long as it's undisturbed and hasn't reached the end of it's natural life, but as people are doing renovations or demolitions on those homes now it's about how to manage the risk," she said.

"That risk is going to be around for decades because of the prevalence, so this gives councils the opportunity to figure out how to remove it.

"It also addresses the fear about the cost and difficulties of doing so, the goal is to encourage people to get a licensed assessor in and provide advice on how to manage that."

Tamworth Regional Council was highly commended in the 2020 LGNSW asbestos management awards for its new process for assessing deliveries of special waste at the landfill.

It developed a new permit system that applies to asbestos, contaminated waste and clean fill waste.

The LGNSW forum will be held in Tamworth, Ms Walsh said, the issue in regional areas is that there's less resources and capability to deal with asbestos.

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It's really important that people don't tear it down and bury it in the backyard, because once it frays it's lighter than soil and can work its way up to the surface.

If it's not disposed of correctly, it can lead to lung diseases, Ms Walsh said.

"People breathing in these fine fibres can develop Mesothelioma, it's a disease that can lead to death so it's very, very important that we manage the risks around this," she said.

"We don't want to panic the community, because it can be safely managed and kept as long as it's not disturbed, but it's about how the state government and local councils work together to manage an issue that will be around for decades to come."

All councils are invited to attend the free event on June 2 at Ray Walsh House from 9am to 2:30pm.

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