Potentially deadly building products laced with asbestos are still being imported into Australia from China, despite growing awareness of the issue, a Senate inquiry has been told.

Simon Pisoni, Assistant Branch Secretary at the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union SA, told an Adelaide public hearing of the Senate inquiry into non-conforming building products that urgent action is required.

“It has been established through repeated and ongoing practice that building products coming out of China contain asbestos, even when the samples provided to potential customers are tested as being asbestos-free and certification is provided with shipments verifying that the building products do not contain asbestos,” he said.

“Despite these facts being known to importers, they continue to import building products from China, motivated by increased profit at the expense of the welfare of the whole community.”

Mr Pisoni says the pain of future victims will be “multiplied many times over” because this generation “did not have the appropriate sense of urgency, the integrity and the responsibility to put the required measures in place to protect our community”.

He believes action to date has been inadequate.

“I’m not aware of any additional funding or resourcing to border security,” he said. “I’m not aware of any bills that are currently being drafted or are before Parliament to address this issue.”

The inquiry will report on the asbestos issue on August 31, with a final report due on October 31.