Katherine's landmark PFAS class action payout has been delayed yet again as an independent council continues a review into the distribution of just over $56 million.
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Katherine residents included in the class action received a letter this week from Shine Lawyers alerting them to the set back.
Residents had been anticipating shares of the settlement money to start landing in bank accounts later this month.
It is now expected payments won't be made until the first week of March.
The class action was filed against the Department of Defence seeking compensation for Katherine property owners for economic loss due to PFAS contamination.
"A Payment Notice will be sent to group members in the week commencing 26 February 2021 noting the exact payment that will be made to you," Shine Lawyers state in a letter.
"We anticipate that payments will commence being made from March 4, 2021 in accordance with the court's approved timeframe.
"We understand this is a revision to the previous payment date advised, and apologise for any inconvenience."
The letter states the independent counsel appointed by the court is undertaking his review of disputes to the distribution.
Individual payouts have been based on research into property sizes, location and whether the property has a bore or not to calculate property values.
"We anticipate that this review will be completed by the end of this week. Upon the completion of this process, final amendments to the data will be made, and the calculations will be finalised and reviewed," the letter states.
In February, the Federal Court approved an historic $212 million class action settlement for PFAS contamination surrounding air force bases at Williamtown, Oakey and Katherine.
Katherine residents were first notified of their potential "settlement statements" in November of 2020, but subsequent delays have followed.
Last month, Katherine residents involved in the class action voiced concerns over the ongoing delays and proposed cuts to payments, after the court accepted 179 late registrations.
Documents obtained by the Katherine Times showed that one resident was set to receive $55,000, but the late additions to the class action cut that by almost 50 per cent.
Other residents told the Katherine Times their payments had been decreased by varying amounts around the 15 per cent mark, and some up to 30 and 40 per cent.
At the time, Joshua Aylward, Shine Lawyers' Class Actions' practice leader, said there were "various reasons" as to why certain payments had increased or decreased since the initial estimated distribution notice in May 2020, including the additional registrations, clarification of group member data, and reviews undertaken at the request of group members.
"For example, if a group member has now confirmed that they did not live at the property, or that the property does not have a bore, then this will reduce their final distribution amount," he said.
"Similarly, if upon review of their allocated property value, the value has increased, then there would be an increase in their distribution amount."
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