Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Birmingham. I thank the minister for making available the minutes of the last three PFAS Taskforce meetings. The minutes for each of these meetings end with a list of action items which show that, in 2020, the task force's achievements consisted of developing talking points and calling further meetings. Minister, can you point to one tangible achievement of the PFAS Taskforce in 2020 towards remediation, compensation or like-for-like relocation of affected residents living outside defence bases?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, you directed your question to Senator Birmingham, but Senator Hume is the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, so I'm going to put the question to Senator Hume.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for his question. Our first priority with managing PFAS contamination has consistently been to ensure the wellbeing of affected communities. The Australian government acknowledges that communities in areas where PFAS contamination has been detected are very concerned about how this may affect them. We have a commitment to break the exposure pathways through treatment of water and soil, ensuring that residents have access to safe drinking water and preventing further contamination. The Defence PFAS program spend to date is approximately $433 million, which includes investigation, remediation and management activities. Defence has also provided $45 million to other agencies in grants and transfers to enable research into health and remediation aspects. We continue to place a strong focus on the issue, with a further $83 million allocated for the financial year 2020-21.

PFAS has been used in hundreds of industrial applications and consumer products, such as carpeting, apparel, upholstery, food paper wrapping, firefighting foams and metal plating. Firefighting foams containing PFAS were a best-in-class product and were used widely by the Department of Defence and other firefighting agencies across the globe. The Department of Defence uses firefighting foam to protect human life and assets from emergency flammable liquid fires. Defence has leaned forward in managing the issue and has commenced detailed environmental investigations at 28 locations, and has finalised 25. Defence is also committed to supporting local communities affected by PFAS contamination and has initiated the following actions: broken PFAS exposure pathways and reduced the migration of PFAS from Defence sites by providing alternative drinking water supplies to 478 properties as well as installing or providing funding for 10 water treatment plants, treating over 5.4 billion litres of water.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, a supplementary question?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Instead of one achievement, I got a list of commitments, pathways, activities, spending, excuses and to-do lists, so let's move on to the second question. Minister, this week a new class-action lawsuit was lodged by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community over PFAS contamination to their traditional lands in Jervis Bay. Does the minister accept that the time to take action is now, before government inaction forces more everyday Australians who've been caught in this nightmare into courts?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for the question. The Jervis Bay issue is not one that I am familiar with. However, I can tell you that on 5 June 2020 the Federal Court of Australia approved the settlement approval applications for the three class actions relating to the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance, the PFAS, contamination in communities near the RAAF Base Williamtown in Williamtown, New South Wales; the Army Aviation Centre in Oakley, Queensland; and the RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. On 16 June last year the court published its reasons. Defence Legal currently has 126 open non-litigated claims and three litigated claims that are not class actions. On 15 April last year a PFAS class action was filed in the Federal Court by Shine Lawyers in relation to property owners in delineated areas around defence bases in Pearce, Richmond—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Hume! Senator Roberts, a final supplementary question?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When will the government begin offering compensation, remediation and like-for-like relocation for affected residents?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Roberts. Because the issue is currently being litigated it is inappropriate to comment right now. As I said on 2 February 2021 this new PFAS class action was filed in the Federal Court by Shine Lawyers in relation to persons and entities with an interest in land situated in that delineated area around Jervis Bay and Wreck Bay in New South Wales. The first case management hearing has not yet been scheduled. As this is a matter for a court, we can really comment no further.