The federal government will undertake an independent review into possible productive uses for hundreds of thousands of hectares Department of Defence land contaminated with Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
The review, to be led by Jim Varghese AM, represents the most significant step taken towards identifying long term options for land on and surrounding defence properties across Australia.
Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite will launch the review, which is due to be completed by early 2024, at Williamtown on Wednesday.
"The findings of this review will be important in informing the government about how to help communities affected by PFAS contamination around Defence bases," Mr Thistlethwaite said.
"We know that Defence's historic use of PFAS has resulted in some diminished opportunities for land uses around some Defence bases. I have spoken directly with communities impacted by PFAS contamination to hear their concerns. They want solutions. I would like to thank each community for this ongoing and productive consultation."
The review, which Labor committed to during the federal election campaign, will focus on communities around RAAF Base Williamtown, the Army Aviation Centre Oakey (QLD), and RAAF Base Tindal (NT).
Working in consultation with Commonwealth, state and local governments, affected communities and industry, the review will explore alternative uses for impacted land around the three bases.
This includes identifying opportunities where adjacent land may be repurposed to support the Australian Defence Force to deliver on the Defence Strategic Review, while better supporting communities.
In some cases this could include potential government buy-backs of properties for uses including defence industries and residential purposes.
The review has extra significance following the state government's decision to cancel the Williamtown Activation Precinct, which was initially promoted as having the potential to assist resolving some issues relating to PFAS contaminated land.
It is expected some of the project's aims will now be achieved by the development of Newcastle Airport's Astra Areolab project.
Mr Varghese, who has experience conducting reviews at state and federal levels, said he intended to receive feedback and input from impacted communities, traditional owners, industry and government to increase the shared understanding of the relevant issues.
"I will consolidate this understanding and identify future directions for zoning and use of land around RAAF Base Williamtown, the Army Aviation Centre Oakey, and RAAF Base Tindal," he said.
"My focus is on developing collaborative reflection and actions on land use and zoning options and, wherever practicable, arriving at a consensus on the preferred options."
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson said she was pleased to be part of a government that was fulfilling its commitment to taking action on PFAS.
"As I have done for the past seven years, I will continue to to support and represent our community, working with my colleagues to achieve better outcomes," she said.
Mr Thistlethwaite has visited the Williamtown Red Zone and other similarly impacted communities several times since the government's election last May.
He previously apologised to Red Zone residents for the failure of previous governments to address PFAS contamination in a meaningful way.
In addition to considering property buybacks, Mr Thistlethwaite has also pledged to investigate options to rezone contaminated land, reinstate community blood testing and the continued treatment of contaminated water on and off the Williamtown RAAF base.
National Coalition Against PFAS president Lindsay Clout said he was enthusiastic about the review.
Mr Clout previously led a coalition of Red Zone residents who called for the voluntary buyout of people living in the primary PFAS management zone around the Williamtown base, the rezoning or other areas and the removal of the restrictions on the outer zone commensurate with the testing results.
"I'm going to put those on the table again tomorrow and see whether they fit in with this approach. I think they do, but we need to take things one step at a time."
Mr Clout said he was hopeful that Mr Varghese's expertise in property development, in particular the Springfield development in Brisbane, could be applied to the Williamtown Red Zone.
"If it takes the development of the area to allow people to get away from the contamination then that's what it's going to take," he said.
"We are eight years into this saga, and 18 months on from our first meeting with Matt Thistlethwaite. It feels like we are now at halftime; we're in front on the scoreboard and we have just got to keep our defence up and keep steering the team around so that we can get a win across the line."
The Department of Defence has spent more than $100 million in recent years remediating PFAS hotspots, which were created by the extensive use of firefighting chemicals.
While PFAS is still polluting the base's ground water, a recent Department of Defence analysis shows levels were much lower than previously reported.
The most recent Defence contamination maps for the Williamtown Red Zone show the intensity of PFAS contamination at the RAAF base has fallen significantly over recent years.
