Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a petition concerning chemical contamination at RAAF Base Tindal which has been approved by the Standing Committee on Petitions. I am therefore pleased to present this petition.

The petition read as follows—

This 'petition on behalf of Katherine residents draws to the attention of the House: That Katherine residents have access to the same health and well-being packages that are being offered to Australians at other Defence sites dealing with the issue of PFAS. That Katherine deserves the same action and investment by the Commonwealth and we be included in the national health and welfare packages for PFAS. We, the residents of Katherine are simply asking for the same action that have been undertaken by the Commonwealth in other jurisdictions, and they include, but are not limited to: • Voluntary blood testing • Counselling for affected residents • An epidemiological study coordinated by the Commonwealth and Australian National University Katherine residents are very concerned similar assistance and provisions will not be made available to affected residents of Katherine until the completion of Defence's environmental investigations for RAAF base Tindal, a process that will extend well into 2018.

We therefore ask the House to: ensure that the residents of Katherine receive the same level of support and assistance that is available to people in other jurisdictions dealing with the presence of PFAS.

from 472 citizens (Petition No. PN0287)

Petition received.

I am presenting this petition on behalf of 472 Katherine residents in my electorate in response to the slow and inconsistent action they have received after they found out, 16 months ago, that large tracts of the town, its aquifers, groundwater and river were contaminated by PFAS and PFOS chemicals, which are found in the firefighting foam used at RAAF Base Tindal. The PFAS issue in Katherine has been, for the community, a ticking time bomb. It has taken over a year of lobbying government for the affected residents to finally get some traction to join other jurisdictions in a consistent, coordinated policy approach from the Commonwealth.

Many residents currently living on contaminated blocks in the area affected by these chemicals are in limbo, having saved for their dream lifestyle block that supports fruit and vegetables and carries livestock. They're now being told not to eat anything they grow on their blocks. These are people who were hoping to retire or move on, but they will now be unable to sell their biggest and, for most, only asset. No-one is going to buy a contaminated block at a reasonable price from a vendor, even if the banks are willing to lend. Getting a bank loan in Katherine currently has become harder, even in non-affected areas. I know of one particular instance where a resident wanting to upgrade an existing residence was refused a loan based on the impact of PFAS on the community.

There is anxiety as residents still wait for blood, bore and town water testing that will ultimately show what levels of PFAS they themselves have ingested and have been open to. Residents are still waiting for adequate mental health services to be rolled out, with very little communication from the local primary health network. Special care needs to be taken to educate vulnerable Aboriginal communities along the river where contaminated fish have been found, as well as to educate visitors to the region. The community of Katherine calls for transparency, clear information and ongoing well-coordinated support from government. The final paragraph of their petition says:

We therefore ask the House to: ensure that the residents of Katherine receive the same level of support and assistance that is available to people in other jurisdictions dealing with the presence of PFAS.