National PFAS Coalition Launched

BY JARROD MELMETH

A national coalition has been launched today to advocate on behalf of communities in Australia such as Williamtown dealing with the toxic fallout of per-and-poly-fluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS).

The Coalition Against PFAS (CAP) is a joint coalition of residents involved in class action lawsuits at Williamtown, Oakey and Katherine and will work to inform and advocate for impacted communities across Australia by highlighting the latest international news and research.

Coalition president and Williamtown resident Lindsay Clout said he hopes the coalition will provide support for those who are suffering.

"We have had contact with people from East Gippsland in Victoria; We have had contact with people from Western Australia; I have spoken with people from Bundaberg who just recently had this chemical discovered in their water supply.

"We want to get the information out there so these people do not have to go through the three or four years that we have gone through and Oakey has gone through in gathering all of this information so that we can understand the problem that we face," Mr Clout said.

The coalition is in talks with similar grassroots organisations in the United States who are experiencing similar circumstances which Mr Clout hopes will result in an international co-operation.

"People are recognising quite quickly through social media and the electronic media, who is out there and what we are doing. We have had contact from a couple of sources in the United States who are doing the same thing that we are doing.

“Our initial desire was to combine our resources to have a national front in Australia on this issue and what is unfolding today is that it is turning into an international front," Mr Clout said.

Signage erected by Williamtown residents. 

Buybacks for Red Zone residents ruled out ahead of federal budget

BY JARROD MELMETH

Tuesday night's federal budget may include a $73 million package to connect PFAS affected communities, including those in Williamtown, to clean drinking water, but any chance of the government buying back those properties has been ruled out.

The funding was announced within hours of the release of a report by the government's expert health panel which concluded that there is "limited to no evidence" linking human disease to higher exposure.

Paterson MP Meryl Swanson has accused the government of reannouncing money which has already been allocated.

"Of that $73 million, $55.2 million has already been spent. I do not think the Turnbull government should be lauded for simply agreeing to stop contaminating peoples water and provide them with clean drinking water, which is a basic human right anyhow. There is so much more that really needs to be done here.

"I actually think it is really more about politicking. They have dropped a 400-page report via a difficult to find website on budget eve when people are very busy looking at budget items and working on what is going to be in and out of the budget. They have tried to really bring it in under the budget cloud," Ms Swanson said.

Williamtown resident Lindsay Clout said a buyback was something residents were really hoping for.

"They were hoping for some glimmer of hope that they would be able to be moved out, some level of compensation. The problem that we have got is the contamination stigma has destroyed house prices and there are hundreds of people that want to move away from this and they cannot get out because they cannot sell their properties. They are trapped," Mr Clout said.

Paterson MP Meryl Swanson with Red Zone affected residents.

Williamtown Residents Serve Letter Of Demand On Defence

BY IAN CROUCH

 Williamtown residents affected by the RAAF base chemical spill are preparing to take on the department of defence in court, if their demands for compensation are not met by the end of the month.

Law firm Gadens is supporting resident's claims they have been ignored and treated unfairly over the chemical spill which decimated land values and impacted livelihoods

President of the Fullerton Cove Residents Action Group, Lindsay Clout says they have no choice but to pursue legal action.


"It's been a long road for us to get to this point with Defence. I mean, we've been at the table for over 12 months now, but unfortunately it's the path we've driven down because the contamination is still there, it's still leaking off the base. We want some action and people are hurting," he said.

Lindsay Clout Picture: Port Stephens Examiner