NSW insurance provider icare apologises to asbestos victims for delay in compensation payments

For Bill Lawler, every day counts.

The 80-year-old former security guard was last year diagnosed with mesothelioma — terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.

He likely came in contact with the deadly mineral almost three decades ago, while he was working as a security guard at Wollongong’s Tallawarra Power Station.

Mr Lawler said when the power station shut down, asbestos was dumped into an open pit and that “it was just falling off the pipes”.

He’s been waiting for his compensation claim to proceed with state-run insurance provider icare.

But he was told he will have to wait almost another month before icare’s providers would agree to attend mediation despite his case being required to be heard in January.

He first filed…