‘Defies any logic’: Call for clarity on PFAS impact to Ring Road

There has been a call for greater transparency in relation to “gobbledygook” released last week blaming a massive road funding shortfall on contamination by toxic firefighting foam.

A PROMINENT Cairns businessman has called for greater transparency in relation to “gobbledygook” released last week blaming a massive road funding shortfall on toxic firefighting foam contamination.

Barron River MP Craig Crawford gave a bombshell update on the Cairns Ring Road project on Thursday stating the $360m budgeted to complete the project from the CBD to Smithfield will only fund a 5km Cairns section between James St and the Barron River bridge.

An aerial photograph of Cairns Airport where the cost of remediating the spillage of highly toxic fire retardant foam at its firefighting depot has been cited as a reason for a roads funding shortfall. Picture: Brendan Radke

Costly remediation of ground contaminated by highly toxic fire retardant foam, known as PFAS, at the site of an airport firefighting depot was cited as reason for the funding shortfall.

But commercial property expert Danny Betros has alleged safety issues related to the toxic foam have been exaggerated to conceal a budgeting blunder by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

“It defies any logic, it’s nowhere near the highway,” he said.

“It just does not make sense to say we can’t have a road here because there is something underground.

“It’s a road, not a childcare centre.

“It’s completely gobbledygook and makes no sense.”

Airservices Australia used firefighting foam containing PFAS at the airport until 2010. Picture: Brendan Radke

A TMR spokesman declined to respond to specific questions about the location of the contaminated site, size of the area and how much earth will be removed to remediate the site.

“The firefighting foam has been located within the planned road corridor, which is not unusual when building roads near airports,” the spokesman said.

A 2019 investigation into PFAS contamination levels at Cairns Airport used by Airservices Australia indicated there was little risk to human health.

A Transport and Main Roads diagram showing the proposed scope of the Cairns Ring Road project.

The Airservices aviation rescue firefighting station is located in the general aviation section of the Cairns Airport and stopped using firefighting foam containing PFAS in 2010.

Opposition finance spokeswoman Fiona Simpson was also critical of a funding shortfall that has effectively shortened the length of the upgrade from about 20km to a 5km stretch between James St and the Barron River bridge.

“They can’t manage money, they certainly haven’t managed this project and I don’t think they’ll come clean with people,” she said.

“You just don’t suddenly discover a contingency where you lose half the funding in unforeseen circumstances in a matter of weeks.

“I think it’s more than just bad management … I think that they have deliberately misled people from a few months ago to what they’re doing now.”

Originally published as ‘Defies any logic’: Call for clarity on PFAS impact to Ring Road