WILLIAMTOWN residents have slammed the federal government’s response to the Senate inquiry into groundwater contamination scandal, saying it does nothing to compensate affected individuals and businesses.
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In its response, issued late on Friday, the government rejected calls for blood tests for those affected by toxic firefighting foam, which leached into groundwater over decades.
It has also refused to commit to property buy-outs for residents whose land values have been decimated.
The government agreed to only four of the Senate inquiry’s eight recommendations.
It said it would continue the existing financial assistance package to fishers and businesses experiencing hardship – “as a result of the NSW Government's decision” to close the Tilligerry Creek and Fullerton Cove fisheries.
It would also introduce a $20,000 business transition package to help businesses pursue alternative income sources, but only if the NSW government extends those closures beyond June 30.
Assistant Defence Minister Michael McCormack said Defence was carrying out environmental investigations at Williamtown, which included the development of a human health risk assessment due by the end of July.
Williamtown resident Rhianna Gorfine said she struggled to accept that the polluter – Defence – had been allowed to dictate the government’s response.
"Defence is the government and they are the polluter and they should pay,” she said.
"It's easy for them to say that it's not an issue, but if it was a private polluter, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”
Ms Gorfine said the government had abandoned its responsibility to the community.
"The banks won't come near Williamtown, property prices have plummeted and fisheries are out of business,” she said. "At the end of the day, the Environment Protection Authority does not have jurisdiction over the defence department.
"It's made it clear that the only way we can gain redress is through the class action."
Chantel Walker, whose husband is a commercial fisherman, said the fishing ban had been devastating for affected families.
“Without an income, we are going backwards; the grants the government has given fishermen so far do not pay the bills, they do not pay the mortgages,” she said.
"They know that the chemical is in the waterway and in the ground and it takes a long time to break down - they know that. They need to be compensated and do what the report said, which is buy them out.”
“A few thousand dollars is not going to do anything."
Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon has blasted the government’s response to the Senate inquiry into the Williamtown contamination as an “insult” to the affected communities.
“You can’t even call them (the government’s responses) half-measures,” said Senator Rhiannon, who was a member of the inquiry, chaired by Labor’s Alex Gallacher.
“They haven’t even come on board with the advice they received from their own people.”
Senator Rhiannon said it was obvious the government was determined to avoid creating a precedent for other Defence sites around Australia which have been affected by firefighting foam.
Labor Defence spokeswoman Gai Brodtmann said it was disappointing that only four of the Senate committee’s eight recommendations had been agreed to.
“Local fishers have been living without a real income through no fault of their own for nearly seven months and the Turnbull Government’s response to the inquiry simply tells them to keep waiting,” she said.
The government did support a recommendation that the Department of Defence review its provision of water and replacement of water infrastructure to affected residents. It supported a recommendation that the Department of Defence and the NSW government examine establishing a joint taskforce to coordinate the response of government agencies to the contamination scandal.
It also supported a recommendation that the Department of Defence examine providing additional mental health and counselling support services to those affected by contamination at the RAAF base.