Super Six Fencing in Perth — Is It Asbestos?
How to identify old Super Six fence panels, understand the risk, and arrange safe licensed removal.
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Yes — Super Six is asbestos. “Super Six” is the trade name for the corrugated asbestos-cement fencing and roofing used across Perth from roughly the 1940s through the 1980s. It is non-friable, or bonded, asbestos cement, which means the fibres are locked in a solid cement matrix. It is extremely common on older Perth boundary fences, and many pre-1990 WA homes still have it.
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.
Perth fences endure decades of sun, wind and rain, as well as impacts from whipper-snippers, children, pets and garden work. A cracked, chalky, leaning or crumbling Super Six fence is a genuine candidate for professional assessment and removal.
Can Super Six Be Repaired or Replaced Like-for-Like?
No. Australia fully banned asbestos at the end of 2003, and Super Six asbestos fencing has not been manufactured 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 Perth homeowners coordinate asbestos removal with the installation of a new Colorbond or timber boundary fence.
Super Six Removal & WA Law
Asbestos removal in Western Australia is regulated under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022, with WorkSafe WA overseeing compliance. Removing more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos requires at least a Class B licensed removalist. Super Six fence removal is normally Class B work.
Proper removal means taking sheets out whole wherever possible, using wet-down and dust-suppression methods, avoiding breakage, double-wrapping the waste in 200-micron plastic, and transporting it to a licensed disposal facility. The site should be checked and cleared when the work is complete.
Although unlicensed removal of less than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos may be legal, the work must still meet all safety requirements. A typical boundary fence is much larger, and most homeowners are better protected by using a licensed removalist.
Confirmed it is asbestos?
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View Our Fence Removal ServiceSuper Six Fences Are Everywhere in Perth
Super Six was one of the most widely used asbestos materials in Western Australian backyards. It was durable, affordable and well suited to long suburban boundary runs, so it became common throughout Perth during the post-war housing expansion.
Homes built before the 1980s are especially likely to have old corrugated asbestos-cement fencing. A weathered grey boundary fence between established Perth properties is exactly the situation in which Super 6 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 Super Six Fence in Perth
Super Six fence removal in Perth typically ranges from around $1,500 to $5,000 or more. 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.
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