There is an umbrella requirement in the Work Health and Safety Act (WHS Act) and Codes of Practice by Safe Work Australia which says that for structure or building demolition work risks must be minimised or eliminated where practical.

Even on the smaller scale of a house demolition, it is the responsibility of demolition contractors to ensure that the workers are exposed to minimal risk. If the demolishing project requires the removal of dangerous materials, it must be handled in accordance with regulations. Asbestos, in particular, has quite specific regulations surrounding it.

One cannot simply remove asbestos using a regular excavator or normal removal processes. As asbestos has been identified as a highly dangerous material, licenses may be required to remove it. All asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM) must be identified by a competent person and an asbestos register must be prepared and kept up to date at the workplace. They must also ensure that the removal of the material is carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist, unless specified in the WHS regulations that the license is not required.

You do not need a license to remove up to 10 meters squared of non-friable asbestos or ACM. You can also remove asbestos contaminated dust or debris (ACD) that is associated with less than 10 metres squared of non-friable asbestos or ACM or is not associated with the removal of asbestos and is only minor contamination. For anything more than that, you will need a licensed asbestos removalist to remove your asbestos, ACM or ACD.

Read the Code of Practice: How to Safely Remove Asbestos for further details on asbestos removal. Check with your local WHS regulator for concerns over other dangerous materials.