Thursday 11 May 2017

A 'minor victory' for Williamtown residents

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what has been described as a 'minor victory' for Williamtown residents affected by the contamination 'red zone', Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister James McGrath will visit the region to see the damage for himself.

Senator McGrath confirmed he will visit Williamtown next Wednesday with Paterson MP Meryl Swanson who has been inviting the senator to come for some time.

"He met with me yesterday, and confirmed. I have of course been inviting the senator and encouraging him to come to Williamtown and sit down and meet with Williamtown residents and talk to them about their plight," said Meryl Swanson.

It comes after the federal government set aside $12.5 million over four years for a health study into the affects of chemicals at the RAAF base in this week's budget.

Senator McGrath was appointed the head of the Turnbull government's contamination taskforce and therefore believes it is obviously an important issue.

He says the politics need to be set aside and a solution decided upon.
Image news.com.au

"I'm keen to spend as much time with locals listening to their concerns and I'm happy to come back as many times as possible. The local Labor member Meryl has been fantastic in keeping me informed of what is happening on the ground there," 

"This issue is beyond party politics and its something that we should work together to find out a solution", said Senator McGrath.

Residents of the red zone have welcomed the visit, saying it is the perfect opportunity for the Senator to witness the toll on residents.