I am not clear on why they are disturbing the boxes.
They are pulling the fibre into the boxes and then exiting to to the
house through the existing ports.
There is no risk with it unless you start cutting it up.
After all they have been in use for yonks.

Fibre to the node would be different because the number of fibro
boxes would be very small in number compared to FTTP and they are
likely to be large concrete boxes on main roads.
Belly May be able to advise on that.

The one outside my house is concrete and is at least 50 years old.

SM...."Union officials say NBN Co failed to prepare workers for asbestos hazards. - THE federal government agency building the National Broadband Network is being blamed for exposing workers to asbestos risks amid revelations it was warned two years ago to act on the danger."

It's the insulation debacle all over again! Ignor the advice of experts, cause to change our mind would hurt us in the polls.

After all, if you analyze the past three years, and see where labor's time has gone, very little has been achieved successfully, as they have had the infighting, the fighting with TA, the live export mess, the failed MRRT, the list goes on.

The sad part about it is that not one of those government ministers will be finically accountable for the mess they have caused.

Bring on indemnity insurance i say!

Here we go again.

If this fool government had not decided to kick Telstra for union reasons, they would be doing this work, for a quarter of the cost of the imbeciles running the NBN. It was ridiculous to start a new company with top staff appointed for political reasons, but this fool government can't help them selves. Only cronyism is possible with them.

Then the asbestos bull dust.

Millions of us have lived in houses built of the same stuff lining these pits. Guess what? Most of us are still alive, as are the men who cut it up & nailed it onto the walls.

It is a very very minor danger, & particularly when wet. In fact it is about as dangerous as me, & at my age that aint very.

Remember when the hysterics about asbestos started, & think what drove them. It was nothing to do with safety in use, although mining & production was dangerous when handled badly. It was to attack a company disliked by the government.

It was just another Y2K, or Global warming scare, used to damage some & reward others. Now of course we have trained a whole generation to be terrified of the stuff, & let's face it, it is a good excuse for a few days off on full pay.

What Labor has nearly achieved is make the Greek government look competent and fiscally responsible by comparison. The NBN is a labor pollie's wet dream, spending untold billions building something when the full result of their folly will only become apparent in a decade when they have retired.

This asbestos issue is wake up call to the spin masters in Labor, that some of the crud is surfacing before the election, and people are starting to see the NBN as the gold plated turd that it really is.

SM ! out standing.
Your usual effort trying to blowup a concrete balloon.
By the way do you get a few cartons of wine and the odd bottle of scotch at Chrissy?
Tickets to state of O?
Hard to police but o so telling in the end, both price rises, have to pay for the lolly,s, and poor quality workmanship.
This country under both forms of government is letting us all become the victim.

I agree with someone herein, who said the existence of asbestos in these 'Telstra Trenches', goes way back, and blaming any particular government, for it's continued presence is somewhat futile I would have thought. Before Telstra, there was Telecom and so on, way back to the days of the old GPO, even to good ol' Cobb and Co !

All governments are probably culpable, to a greater or lesser degree, for leaving this poisonous fibre in situ ? Would it not be better therefore, rather than engaging in the old political blame game, someone within the present government should exhibit some real leadership and commence removal of the material, before any other poor fellow contracts this killer disease, asbestosis and later on the fatal, mesothelioma ?

I'm positive the general public would readily accede, even applaud a special allocation of funds in order to thoroughly guarantee that the job can be embarked upon both safely and effectively. After all, any expenditure of funds is in the overall public good ?

I've no idea how difficult the removal process is ? BELLY has indicated that he's been trained, and has trained others, in the correct methodology for it's safe removal and ultimate destruction.

It could well be a real vote winner for Labor ?