The Albanese Government, in partnership with the NSW Government and Port Stephens Council, has established the Williamtown Working Group (WWG), the first community-based group to be formed under the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) National Coordinating Body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As recommended by the Independent PFAS Review <\/em>of land uses around key Defence bases impacted by PFAS contamination, the WWG will bring together representatives from the community, and across government, to support practical, place-based actions to mitigate PFAS contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following a public expression of interest process, the following community members have been selected to join the WWG, alongside representatives from the Commonwealth, NSW Government, Port Stephens Council and the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those selected bring a strong understanding of the local PFAS-related issues that affect the Williamtown area and will provide valuable insights. They each demonstrate a commitment to working constructively with government to identify and implement solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the WWG will progress local initiatives, including a whole-of-catchment flood action plan, to improve drainage management in areas to the south of RAAF Base Williamtown, the PFAS National Coordinating Body will provide oversight and progress the national approach to combat PFAS contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through their representatives at both a local and national level, Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil and NSW Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe will continue to work closely to monitor outcomes and advice to progress action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The WWG will meet for the first time on Thursday, 20 November and, as outlined in the Independent Review, will serve as a pilot to inform further PFAS working groups set to be established in the Northern Territory and Queensland in due course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further information on Defence\u2019s work to remediate PFAS contamination in Williamtown and across Australia can be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe establishment of this Working Group is a practical step forward in delivering local solutions for those impacted by PFAS contamination here in Williamtown. I commend the community members who have put themselves forward to contribute to this important work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d like to thank the NSW Government and Port Stephens Council for getting on board so we can foster a new approach that bring all levels of government together to engage on PFAS related issues in this community.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n State Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI welcome the establishment of the Williamtown Working Group and thank all the local residents who\u2019ve put up their hand to play a part in finding practical solutions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn behalf of the Minns Labor Government, I remain willing to work with the Commonwealth Government to get meaningful outcomes for local families who\u2019ve been stuck in this PFAS nightmare for far too long.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mayor of Port Stephens Council, Leah Anderson:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPort Stephens residents deserve clarity and answers. This collaborative approach will help their voices be heard directly at the decision making table.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is an important step towards finding solutions that support landowners and helping to unlock the growth potential in the area.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Federal Member for Paterson, Meryl Swanson:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor far too long, our community has lived with the uncertainty and frustration caused by the PFAS contamination. Establishing the Williamtown Working Group is a practical step forward and I want to thank everyone who put their hand up to join the group.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is about bringing everyone to the table \u2013 residents, the Worimi people, all levels of government \u2013 to make sure we\u2019re working together on real solutions for Williamtown and the surrounding areas. My office will continue to meet with all those impacted to ensure there is alignment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Albanese Government, in partnership with the NSW Government and Port Stephens Council, has established the Williamtown Working Group (WWG), the first community-based group to be formed under the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) National Coordinating Body. As recommended by the Independent PFAS Review of land uses around key Defence bases impacted by PFAS contamination, the WWG … Continue reading “First PFAS working group established to progress action”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36067"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36068,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36067\/revisions\/36068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n