Methamphetamine crackdown: Drug labs in houses - the long-term damage

Cleansing a house of the toxic residue left by a meth lab can cost more than $5000. Photo / Greg Bowker

Meth labs leave behind toxic chemicals that can poison a property long after the drug-making equipment has been dismantled. The chemicals can penetrate walls and fabrics and any waste disposed of on the property is highly toxic.

Once it has been established a home has been used for making meth, an extensive decontamination process is required - costing upward of $5000.

If the police have been involved, they call in the Environmental Science & Research response team of forensic scientists who remove chemicals and conduct tests. They must then alert the local council which can demand the property be tested and make a cleansing order under the Health Act 1956.

There is at present no legal obligation for owners to declare the methamphetamine history of a property to new tenants or potential buyers. There is also no obligation for them to have a property tested for traces of meth or chemicals.