Multimillion-dollar payouts for PFAS contamination

A Darling Downs community that launched one of several class actions over the use of toxic firefighting chemicals has won a multimillion-dollar payout.

OAKEY landowners whose property values plummeted after being contaminated by toxic chemicals from a nearby defence base have won a $34 million payout.

Federal Court documents reveal the confidential details of three separate class actions recently settled between the government and residents living near defence bases in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.

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Oakey residents on the Darling Down launched a class action in December claiming damages for massive losses in property values and business prospects after the toxic firefighting chemicals used at an army air base contaminated local groundwater.

Imogen Jaeger, 8, was born with an unexplained hand defect. She has lived most of her life in Oakey and her mother, Angela Jaeger was exposed to farm produce and contaminated water when she was pregnant.

Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail show residents agreed to a $34 million settlement with the federal government however the deal does not preclude future personal injury claims.

Shine Lawyers class actions practice leader Joshua Aylward confirmed the Australian Defence Force would pay a combined $212.5 million to settle three class actions.

PFAS management zones at Oakey on the Darling Downs.

“These residents have endured an agonising wait for justice spanning several years and that has taken a toll on them both emotionally and financially,” he said.

“I’m confident the compensation we have secured on their behalf will help them to begin a new chapter in their lives.”

Katherine residents living near RAAF Base Tindal in the NT will be paid $92.5 million while a further $86 million payout will go to the Williamtown community in regional NSW.

The Federal Court must still approve the deals.

The settlements could open the floodgates to dozens of similar cases, with reports that nearly 100 sites across the country have been contaminated by PFAS.

The Health Department recently told a Senate committee there was no conclusive proof linking PFAS to human diseases, but acknowledged increasing confidence that high exposure levels led to some biological effects.

The Courier-Mail recently revealed the ADF was still using firefighting chemicals containing the toxic chemical at most bases.

A defence spokeswoman confirmed officials only expected to identify a suitable replacement foam by mid-2020, despite committing 15 years ago to phase out the foam.

Originally published as Multimillion-dollar payouts for PFAS contamination