The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has been established to provide a national focus on asbestos issues which go beyond workplace safety to encompass environmental and public health issues.

The Agency has broad functions including:

• encouraging, coordinating, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of National Strategic Plan on Asbestos Awareness and Management (NSP)
• reviewing and amending NSP as required
• publishing and promoting NSP
• providing advice to the Minister about asbestos safety
• liaising with Commonwealth, State, Territory and local and other governments, agencies or bodies about the implementation, review or amendment of NSP; as well as asbestos safety in general; and
• commissioning, monitoring and promoting research about asbestos safety.

The Agency is a statutory authority in the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio and is responsible through its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Commonwealth Minister for Workplace Relations.