Engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs can no longer be imported as of January 1, 2025. Photo: stock
Engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs can no longer be imported after a ban took effect on New Year’s Day (January 1, 2025).
According to the Australian Border Force (ABF), stone items containing more than 1 per cent of crystalline silica are banned; the ban is to protect workers from silicosis, a lung disease caused by inhaling silica.
The import ban adds to a domestic ban on the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone products that has stood since July 1, 2024.
ABF Superintendent Lidija Wallace said enforcing the ban will keep the community safe.
“The ABF’s vast experience in preventing the importation of a range of prohibited goods means we are skilled and experienced to respond to this change,” Supt Wallace said.
“Any attempt to rebrand engineered stone as another product to intentionally avoid the import ban will be subject to ABF action.”
The ban will exclude some products and importers will be allowed to import samples for testing purposes. Details, click here: new import controls on engineered stone
NSW REACTION
The NSW Government welcomes the ban and says a team of dedicated silica safety inspectors will ensure business compliance.
State premier Chriss Minns says that since September, there have been 140 inspections, three fines totalling almost $10,000 handed out, more than 125 improvement notices issued and seven prohibition notices in workplaces.
Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Cotsis says the rates of silicosis developing in works is “unacceptably high”.
“It is illegal to use, supply and manufacture these products within Australia so this importation ban is an all-important next step,” she says.
“We don’t need these dangerous products entering the country … the engineered stone importation ban will go a long way in bringing silicosis numbers down and create safer workplaces.”
SafeWork NSW Deputy Secretary Trent Curtin says “no-one deserves to have their health compromised due to their working environment”.
SILICOSIS
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by respirable crystalline silica and linked to multiple deaths.
It is caused by items with a high silica content such as engineered stone, most commonly used in kitchen benchtops and which has been linked to the illness since 2015, the NSW government says.
Uncontrolled cutting, drilling, polishing and grinding of Crystaline Silica Substance (CSS) materials such as granite, tiles, bricks and sandstone can also lead to serious illnesses such as silicosis, lung disease, lung cancer, and kidney disease.
The NSW Government has pledged $5 million for silicosis research and a patient support program for individuals and their families.
