Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. I also acknowledge her decade of strong advocacy in these matters and how important this is for her community and for others in this place.

This morning the Commonwealth commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia against 3M Australia and 3M Company for allegedly withholding information and making false statements about the long-term environmental impacts of the use of 3M firefighting foam containing PFAS. The Commonwealth is seeking more than $2 billion in damages to recover significant past and future expenses incurred in investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historical storage and use of this foam. This is the largest legal claim ever brought by the Commonwealth.

For the benefit of the House, PFAS are chemicals that have been contained in legacy firefighting foams for many years, including on Defence sites. Defence no longer uses legacy firefighting foams that caused PFAS contamination. The government's position is that 3M withheld a range of information and misrepresented the adverse environmental effects of this substance, including stating that the foam was biodegradable, nontoxic and could be disposed of safely. This misconduct has come at significant cost to the Australian taxpayer, including over $1 billion to date to investigate, remediate and mitigate PFAS contamination at Defence estate sites.

I know, as does my excellent colleague, the Assistant Minister for Defence, that Australians have dealt with the consequences of PFAS contamination for many years. Communities impacted by PFAS contamination deserve transparency, accountability and ongoing support. Protecting Australians, including our defence personnel, our veterans, local communities and First Nations peoples is this government's No. 1 priority. Australians rightly expect their government to stand up for them and hold companies accountable when communities and the environment are impacted, and that is why we are bringing this action.

The Commonwealth is a model litigant, and we will take steps to genuinely engage with 3M to resolve this claim as efficiently as possible. But let me be clear. We are not afraid to take on 3M in the interests of Australians. As I said this morning and will say again, this legal action against 3M is significant. It is the action of a government that is committed to fighting for Australians and their long-term interests.

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