Fibro and Super Six Fencing in Newcastle. Is It Asbestos?
Old fibro fences in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie: how to identify the panels, what the NSW rules say, and how to arrange safe licensed removal.
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Original Super Six is asbestos. "Super Six" is a trade name for corrugated asbestos cement sheeting used for fences and roofs, and locals often just call it fibro. It is non-friable, or bonded, asbestos cement, which means the fibres are locked in a solid cement matrix. Homes built or renovated before 1990 may contain asbestos (asbestos.nsw.gov.au), and old corrugated fences are one of the most common places it turns up.
How to Identify Super Six Fencing
Old Super Six fence panels have several recognisable features. Look for these signs without drilling, scraping or breaking the material:
- A corrugated or wavy profile rather than flat sheeting
- Distinctive diamond-shaped metal washers and bolts
- Usually seven corrugations or ribs per sheet
- A grey, weathered or chalky cement appearance
The rib count is a useful clue: traditional Super 6 fencing commonly has about seven ribs per sheet, while many modern Hardie fibre-cement lookalikes have five. Modern fibre cement is also more brittle and will not usually accept a bolt-and-washer fixing without cracking.
These clues are not proof. Modern fibre-cement products and Colorbond lookalikes exist, and visual identification is never certain. Laboratory asbestos testing is the only reliable way to confirm the material. Treat any old corrugated cement fence as asbestos until it has been tested.
Why Super Six Fencing Is a Risk
Bonded asbestos is generally low risk while it remains intact, sealed and undisturbed. The danger begins when it is cut, drilled, broken, sanded, water-blasted or allowed to weather and deteriorate, because those actions can release asbestos fibres.
Newcastle fences cop decades of sun, salty coastal wind and storms, as well as knocks from whipper-snippers, kids, pets and garden work. A cracked, chalky, leaning or crumbling Super Six fence is a genuine candidate for licensed assessment and removal.
Can Super Six Be Repaired or Replaced Like-for-Like?
No. Australia banned asbestos from 31 December 2003, and Super Six asbestos fencing has not been made or sold for decades. It is no longer available as a replacement product.
Damaged panels should not be patched, trimmed or cut to fit. They should be removed safely by a licensed removalist. Most homeowners line up the asbestos removal with a fencing contractor for the new Colorbond or timber fence.
Super Six Removal & NSW Rules
In NSW, asbestos removal is regulated by SafeWork NSW. Removing more than 10m² of non-friable asbestos needs at least a Class B licensed removalist, and any friable asbestos needs a Class A licence (SafeWork NSW). Fibro fence removal is normally Class B work, and the removalist notifies SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days before it starts (asbestos notifications).
Proper removal means taking sheets out whole wherever possible, using wet-down and dust-suppression methods, avoiding breakage, double-wrapping the waste in heavy-duty plastic, and transporting it to a facility licensed to take asbestos. Loads over 100kg, or more than 10m² of sheeting, are tracked through the NSW EPA Integrated Waste Tracking Solution (NSW EPA). A clearance inspection is done before the area is used again.
Unlicensed removal of 10m² or less of non-friable asbestos in total is allowed, but the work must still meet every safety requirement. The limit is an area, not 10 metres of fence. A typical boundary fence is much larger, and SafeWork NSW recommends licensed removal for any amount.
Confirmed it is asbestos?
See how licensed removalists dismantle, wrap, transport and dispose of Super Six fence panels safely.
View Our Fence Removal ServiceFibro Fences Are Everywhere in Newcastle
Corrugated fibro was durable, affordable and suited to long suburban boundary runs, so it ended up behind plenty of homes across the region, from workers' cottages in Mayfield and Wallsend to the post-war streets of Charlestown.
Homes built before the 1980s are especially likely to have old corrugated asbestos-cement fencing. A weathered grey boundary fence between established Newcastle properties is exactly where Super Six asbestos is often found. Even when sections have been replaced, older panels or broken fragments may remain along the fence line or beneath the soil.
What It Costs to Remove a Fibro Fence in Newcastle
Fibro and Super Six fence removal in Newcastle is from $1,500, roughly $90 to $160 per metre, inc GST. The final cost depends on the fence length and height, panel condition, access for removal, buried fragments and disposal volume. Every job is inspected and quoted on site.
Prices are a guide only and depend on size, access and condition. Your free on-site quote gives you a fixed price before any work starts.
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Is Super Six Fencing Still Available?
Asbestos products were banned in Australia from 31 December 2003 (asbestos.nsw.gov.au). Original asbestos-containing Super Six is not a new fencing product you can buy today. Any new Super Six-style sheeting is not the original product; check the modern material specification rather than assuming similar corrugations mean asbestos.
Can I Replace a Single Super Six Panel?
Patching an asbestos fence still involves removing and handling asbestos. A one-panel job does not cancel safety and disposal obligations. The NSW 10m² unlicensed limit applies to the total bonded removal, and friable asbestos always needs a Class A licensed removalist. Do not cut, drill or smash the panel to fit a replacement; arrange an assessment and a safe removal plan.
What Does Super Six Removal Cost?
From $1,500, roughly $90 to $160 per metre, inc GST. See our fence removal cost guide.
Prices are a guide only and depend on size, access and condition. Your free on-site quote gives you a fixed price before any work starts.