The long shadow of Victoria’s gas and fuel: what workers should know

Unlike New South Wales, Victoria does not have its own black coal resources to produce gas, which made it reliant on importing resources from its neighbour. In the aftermath of World War II, as Victoria’s energy needs grew, the state established the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria to oversee new forms of gas production. 

The Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria, which employed thousands of workers across the state, helped power homes, businesses and entire communities in the post-war era, but it also exposed many workers to deadly asbestos, which was used to insulate gas pipelines, boilers, generators and more. 

At Maurice Blackburn, we’ve supported countless people whose lives have been changed by diseases caused by asbestos exposure. Through our dedicated asbestos and dust disease specialist teams, we help workers and families understand their rights and access the support they deserve.

What was the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria, and what did it do?

The Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria was created under the Gas and Fuel Act 1950, but formally began operations in 1951, quickly becoming one of Victoria’s most important public utilities. Its early decades were defined by major infrastructure projects built when asbestos use in Australia was at its peak. 

Two of its main developments included:

The Lurgi Gas Plant in Morwell (1956-1969)

Commissioned in 1956, the Lurgi Gas Plant occupied 400 acres of land in Morwell and played a significant role in Victoria’s gas industry. The plant used briquettes made from dried, compressed brown coal to produce gas, which was then piped to Dandenong. It had six generators and a boiler house containing six boilers fired with raw brown coal. The pipeline to Dandenong was made of enamel, fibreglass and a tar-strengthened form of asbestos wrap.

Because of its heat-resistant properties, asbestos was commonly used to insulate machinery. Workers were likely exposed to asbestos while working across the plant’s generators, boilers or pipeline. 

While the Lurgi Gas Plant closed in 1969, workers who spent years there may still be at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease today.

Refinery Gas & LPG Expansion (1950s–1960s)

New pipelines connecting Altona, West Melbourne and Highett were built in 1955 and 1956. The Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria launched an LPG product in 1957, and by the 1960s was supplying TLPG to country towns. This period demanded rapid growth in pipelines, depots and valve stations, all built at a time when asbestos insulation was routine.

If you want to understand how widespread asbestos was in Victoria during this time, you can read our article ‘How asbestos ravaged the Latrobe Valley’.

What happened to the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria?

In 1991, the Government restructured the Gas and Fuel Corporation into smaller business units, including corporate, transmission, distribution, retail, and Heatane Gas. 

Its rights and liabilities were distributed among three divisions:

1. Gas distributor and retail companies managed by GASCOR
2. The Gas Transmission Corporation (GTC) (later renamed Transmission Pipelines Australia)
3. Independent market operator, VENCorp.

How was asbestos used across the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria work sites?

Asbestos was widely used for insulation and fireproofing, including routine tasks such as:

• pipe insulation and lagging
• insulating boilers and furnaces
• building or fitting out asbestos-lined switch rooms
• applying asbestos cement sheeting around plant equipment
• insulation gaskets and rope seals
• cutting and installing asbestos cement panels

Who might have been exposed to asbestos?

The types of workers who might have been exposed include:

• labourers and welders carrying out gas-laying services and gas main works, which included cutting and melting asbestos enamel insulation wrapped around pipes.
• plumbers and gasfitters involved with replacing oil heaters, hot water services, space heaters, wall furnaces, and console heaters. In performing these tasks, workers may have routinely handled, cut, and installed asbestos cement flues and sheeting, disturbed in-situ asbestos cement materials, and worked in proximity to others undertaking similar activities.
• truck drivers and service layers involved with loading trucks with asbestos-containing materials for delivery to commercial and residential sites, including asbestos cement sheets and asbestos rope. Additional exposure could have occurred when loading trucks with rubbish and debris, such as offcuts of asbestos cement sheeting and broken asbestos cement pipes, and when attending worksites contaminated with asbestos.
• painters and leading hands may have been required to sand asbestos cement flues used for hot water services and gas heaters in preparation for painting. They also used wire brushes to prepare painted asbestos cement cladding for painting.
• welders and boilermakers may have been exposed to asbestos while handling and cutting woven asbestos matting or gluing and applying asbestos matting to metal plates.
• chemists may have been exposed by disturbing asbestos insulation on laboratory equipment and by handling asbestos rope. 
• staff in the Leakage Survey Department may have been exposed while inspecting and pinpointing gas leaks on mains and in pits. This required handling and removing asbestos covers from telecommunications pits during inspections. The pits were constructed and insulated with asbestos, and access often required breaking asbestos seals. Workers also handled and removed asbestos insulation covering pipes and cables within these pits.

This is not an exhaustive list, and non-workers, such as family members, could also have been exposed to asbestos fibres on work clothes brought home. We’ve successfully represented wives who contracted mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos dust while doing the laundry.

What is the impact of asbestos?

Exposure to airborne asbestos has been linked to a long list of dust-related diseases and cancers, including:

• Mesothelioma: A rare and aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. Only asbestos causes mesothelioma. It’s often fatal.
• Lung cancer: A rare cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and abdomen.
• Asbestosis: A chronic lung disease that leads to scarring and inflammation.
• Laryngeal cancer: Laryngeal cancer develops in the larynx, commonly known as the “voice box.”
• Asbestos-Related Pleural Diseases (ARPDs): These are conditions affecting the lining of the lungs (pleura):
  • Pleural thickening: Scarring and thickening of the pleura, which can cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. 
  • Pleural plaques: Well-defined, thickened areas on the pleura, which are often asymptomatic but are a sign of exposure. 
  • Benign Asbestos Pleural Effusion (BAPE): Non-cancerous fluid build-up in the chest cavity.

Most people are diagnosed in their late 70s. If you think you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you should monitor the following symptoms:

• shortness of breath
• persistent cough
• chest pain or tightness
• fatigue
• swelling in the face, neck, fingertips or toes
• crackling sounds when breathing

Noel’s story

We recently represented a client who developed asbestosis decades after unknowingly being exposed to asbestos while working for the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria. In the late 1970s, he worked in leakage surveys, climbing into underground gas and telecom pits that were heavily lagged with asbestos. 

At the time, he was not warned of the risks or provided protective equipment. Although early signs appeared in the 2000s, his condition worsened in 2022, leading to diagnosis. With specialist legal support, his claim was fast-tracked and successfully resolved, helping secure compensation for his future medical needs. Read Noel’s full story here.

When should you seek legal advice?

If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, it’s important to speak to a specialist lawyer as soon as you can. A claim started when a person is alive can be settled even after they have died, but a new claim cannot be lodged after the person has already died.

“Older clients and clients struggling with comorbidities might assume they’re not entitled to anything, or that it might be too hard, but Mick’s story shows how important it is to investigate your legal entitlements,” says Ross Sottile, a dust diseases lawyer at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. 

“Asbestos-related diseases bring a lot of uncertainty, but having compensation will be important when it comes to helping Mick access care in the future. If there’s a new groundbreaking treatment, Mick will have money to pay for it.”

We’re here to help

If you’ve been exposed to asbestos and diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Our team of expert asbestos lawyers is here to guide you through the process, explain your legal options and make it as easy as possible so you can focus on your recovery. 

We are Australia’s largest practising asbestos, silica and occupational exposures legal team, with more than 150 years of combined experience. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialist lawyers, dedicated support staff and a highly experienced Lung Clinical Nurse Consultant, providing compassionate, personalised support at every stage of your claim.

We offer confidential, obligation-free initial consultations, and if you decide you want to pursue a claim, then we’ll represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis. 

We also understand that many of our clients may be unwell, and we can arrange home consultations in these circumstances.

Compensation for asbestos-related diseases can be significant, so it’s crucial to seek advice as soon as possible due to legislative limitations. Acting early can help protect your rights and ensure you receive the support you’re entitled to.

If you have not been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition but have been exposed to asbestos in any occupational or domestic setting, you can register your exposure with the National Dust Register.

If you live in the Latrobe Valley, you can contact our local Maurice Blackburn Traralgon office.