The news follows a recent announcement from the NSW Government's asbestos taskforce that the Government will legislate towards a voluntary buyback and demolition scheme for affected asbestos homes in the state, similar to the ACT Government's $1-billion buyback scheme announced last year. The NSW Government's package would also include a 'mandatory disclosure' policy for all affected Mr Fluffy houses to declare that fact prior to any sale process going ahead.

Queanbeyan Mayor Overall said that move from the State Government had given Queanbeyan City Council the support and confidence it needed to make the register available to prospective buyers.

"One of the announcements from the NSW Government is that they will legislate for mandatory disclosure requirement in regard to property sales and leasings.

"That being the case, I've recommended that Council will not wait for that legislation, and effective from the date of that announcement Council will be openly disclosing to any property enquiries regarding purchasing or leases as to whether they're on Council's register or not.

"I believe it's appropriate that we don't wait for the legislation; that we act accordingly and open the books as it were to prospective purchasers," he said.

Queanbeyan Council has kept its register of affected properties behind closed doors for over a decade, honouring a confidentiality clause made with residents in Queanbeyan who signed up for a voluntary insulation testing program with Council in the late eighties.

However recent pressure had come upon Council late last year to use that information to protect Queanbeyan residents from the toxic insulation. State Government MP David Shoebridge grilled Council staff at an asbestos hearing in November as to why it hadn't acted on the information, or sought legal advice on the liability involved in holding the register.

The liability question raised its head again in December when Canberra couple Eddie Casey and his partner Dale Freestone, along with their two young children, purchased and moved into a Mr Fluffy home in Bungendore, unaware that it contained the deadly asbestos. Although in a different local government area, the property was on Council's books as containing loose-fill asbestos.

More than 2,600 building and home owners across the state have now signed up for free loose fill asbestos checks in the wake of the NSW Government's announcement of an asbestos taskforce and a subsequent buy-back and demolition program to clean up the toxic houses. Around 1150 of those homes are in Queanbeyan.

Local member John Barilaro said the progress was the result of new confidence from property owners in the assistance package being offered by the State Government.

"That announcement has given people confidence that Government is putting forward the support and resources to help people out of this issue," Mr Barilaro said.

"If you give people confidence that we're here to support those [affected] landholders and home owners, that people will come forward because there's financial support in the short term and long term in the buyback and demolition [program]."

He also welcomed the news that Queanbeyan Council will make its asbestos register public to prospective property buyers.

"If the Council has got legal advice that they can disclose that information, that's good news. We don't want more people trapped in this Mr Fluffy issue."