Senators came to Katherine in July to take local evidence.

The fledgling Coalition Against PFAS, which includes Katherine GP Dr P.J. Spafford, will make a submission to the final hearing today.

The group claims the Government has lost control of the contamination crisis caused by toxic PFAS chemicals leaking into soil and water supplies.

The Coalition Against PFAS says two months of hearings held around Australia by a parliamentary inquiry into the management of PFAS contamination in and around Defence bases, has exposed the Government has no answers for dozens of communities who are impacted.

“We’ve heard harrowing community testimony of lives destroyed through contamination of homes and business,” said CAP President Lindsay Clout.

 “What is most frightening, is we’ve learned the Government has no answers.”

Mr Clout claimed facts brought to light in recent months included:

•    The Defence Department conceding it had lost control of managing PFAS contamination coming off its bases and it could it could be better “for someone else to step in to rectify the problem.”

•    Both the Victorian and South Australian State Government’s highlighting an ongoing lack of cooperation and openness from Defence in regard to investigations into PFAS contamination at its bases.

•    The head of the Government appointed “Expert Health Panel” into the risks of PFAS telling community members he was “dragged” into doing the job and someone “better qualified” should have steered its investigation.

•    Australasia’s peak medical body, GP’s and environmental medical experts telling the Inquiry the health advice relating to PFAS needed to be changed now.

Mr Clout said he would meet with the Chair of the Inquiry Andrew Laming MP, today to pass on a letter detailing evidence given to the inquiry in recent months highlighting Defence’s inability to manage the contamination and the Government’s erroneous health findings.

More reading:

Katherine PFAS timeline.