SENATE

Thursday, 13 October 2016 SENATE 85
world, the fact that the Israelis, who know a thing or two about defence, have real concerns about this program
and are going down a different path in that the F35s they are aquiring are quite different from the F35s that our
nation is acquiring, the fact that the Canadians have gone down a different path and the fact that there appears to
be a lack of contestability in this process is all very concerning. It raises issues of capability as well. I seek leave
to continue my remarks later on this very important issue.
Leave granted; debate adjourned.
MOTIONS
Firefighting Foam Contamination
Senator BURSTON (New South Wales) (16:30): I move:
That the Senate—
(a) supports the efforts of the Department of Defence and other Commonwealth and state government agencies responding
to environmental and health issues arising out of firefighting foam contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South
Wales and Army Aviation Centre Oakey in Queensland, including engaging the University of Newcastle Family Action
Centre (UNFAC) to develop and deliver mental health awareness and stress management activities in the Williamtown area;
(b) notes that:
(i) some landholders in the immediate vicinity of Williamtown Air Base and Oakey Army Aviation Centre are reporting
difficulties accessing equity, property value impacts and difficulty selling their land,
(ii) the Department of Defence has met with a number of lending institutions and the Australian Property Institute to
discuss property lending policies and practices and how valuations are conducted in the Williamtown area, and
(iii) the Department of Defence has committed to review the issue of property acquisition once detailed environmental
investigations at RAAF Base Williamtown and Army Aviation Centre Oakey have been concluded; and
(c) calls on the Government to expedite environmental investigations of the impact of firefighting foam contamination at
Williamtown and Oakey to enable landholders to address the dilemma of land remediation or relocation, and move on with
their lives and deal with issues of mental health and stress management.
During the 2016 election campaign, I was approached by the Salt Ash Community First group, through my twin
brother, Graham, who was a One Nation candidate for the seat of Paterson. I attended a meeting at a private
residence in Salt Ash to be briefed on contamination of residents in an investigation zone that the local residents
call 'the red zone', allegedly from the RAAF base at Williamtown. The contamination is caused by leaching of
contaminated carcinogenic firefighting chemicals from the base to surrounding areas. These chemicals are in the
form of firefighting foam known as aqueous film-forming foam, AFFF, and are used primarily to control fires
involving flammable liquids such as fuel and oil. The foam suppresses fire by producing a film over the fuel and
oil that effectively starves the fire of oxygen. Defence used this foam across many of its facilities in fire control
systems, in the testing and maintenance of those systems and in firefighting training.
The acronyms for the contaminants contained within AFFF are PFOS and PFOA. These contaminants were a
common ingredient in household products not so long ago. You might remember Scotchgard. They can still be
found in non-stick frypans. The contamination is not confined to the RAAF base at Williamtown but can be found
locally at another 16 Defence bases around Australia. Possible federal government liability extends to a further 20
privately owned airfields, being a total of 36 bases Australia wide.
The major concern of the contamination is that it cannot be neutralised and has a cumulative effect over time in
the human body. The chemicals are known to be associated with testicular cancer, kidney cancer, liver disease,
thyroid disease, immune suppression, reduced fertility and hypertension. More than 650 homes as well as a
primary school are caught up in the red zone. This may well involve 2,500 to 3,000 men, women and children at
Salt Ash alone. Advice to residents throughout the red zone includes warnings not to drink water from dams,
ponds or bores or to drink milk from cows or goats or to eat eggs or fish produced in the red zone. Commercial
and recreational fishing in the Tilligerry Creek and Fullerton Cove has been suspended, with compensation being
provided by the government. The fishing ban has since been partially lifted, about two weeks ago, although the
ban on the consumption of flathead fish is still in place.
The Department of Defence has identified contamination in Moors Drain, which carries stormwater from the
base and discharges into Tilligerry Creek. During heavy rain, flash flooding occurs on properties adjacent to
Moors Drain. The defence department refers to the drain as an off-site mitigation pathway for the chemicals. The
Salt Ash area has a very high water table and, during heavy rain, contaminated surface water rises and lies in
many drains and gutters, where foaming is clearly visible. You can just imagine the effect this has on the
residents. I have also witnessed this foaming, particularly along the main road through Salt Ash. The chemicals
can also be transmitted through the atmosphere and humidity.
CHAMBER