Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works I present report No. 2 of 2016 of the committee, relating to the referral made in September 2015.

In accordance with standing order 39(e) the report was made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works I present the committee's second report for 2016. This report addresses the AIR5431 Phase 2 and 3 project, which was referred to the committee in September 2015. The Department of Defence is seeking approval to undertake infrastructure works at 18 air traffic management centres across Australia. Defence and Airservices Australia have partnered to develop a single civil-military air traffic management system. The unified air traffic management system will allow Defence to conduct various operations while enabling the civil aviation industry activities to continue in a safe and flexible manner.

The objective of the AIR5431 Phase 2 and 3 project is to upgrade air traffic control towers and airfield system facilities that were constructed in the 1960s and which are no longer fit for purpose. The project will supply training, support and maintenance facilities in order to allow air traffic control services to continue uninterrupted throughout the system rollout and operation. The estimated cost of the project is $409.9 million. Construction on the projects is expected to commence in mid-2016 at RAAF Base Amberley. Works at other sites will commence progressively from late 2016, with all works to be completed by the end of 2021.

During the inquiry, the committee received evidence regarding contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown. The contaminants, known as PFOS and PFOA, were fire-retardant foams commonly used in aviation rescue firefighting operations up until the mid-2000s—and also used in training, obviously. The committee learned that Defence first detected PFOS and PFOA on the base at Williamtown in 2012 and that it was aware of the risk that the contaminants could migrate beyond the boundary of the base in stormwater run-off and then through the water table. In 2015, Defence confirmed there was contaminated water outside the base. The detection of PFOS and PFOA in areas around RAAF Base Williamtown has been a cause of anxiety for local residents. It has also had significant financial impacts for local farmers and for fisheries in the vicinity. The committee notes that Defence's original submission included only one line referring to potential contamination at the project sites. It was submissions from Hunter Water and the New South Wales Environment Protection Agency, plus media articles and the input of a local member on the committee—the member for Newcastle—that brought this issue to the forefront of the committee's considerations. Although Defence advised in its submission that no significant issues were raised in its community consultations that would impact on the proposed works, the committee is aware that, at the time, Defence and the community were engaged in robust and extensive public meetings regarding contamination issues at RAAF Base Williamtown.

The committee believes Defence should have been more forthcoming regarding contamination issues at Williamtown—not only for this project but also for the two previous projects referred in 2014 and 2015, which included significant works at Williamtown. In a supplementary submission, Defence assured the committee that it intends to comply with a range of contamination management strategies proposed by Hunter Water and the New South Wales EPA and that it had adopted measures to ensure that any current and future works at Williamtown would not exacerbate the contamination issues,

PFOS and PFOA are referred to as 'legacy contaminants'. They were used extensively at Defence and civil airfields around Australia for a 30-year period starting in the 1970s. This issue has the potential to be broader than Williamtown, involving Defence bases and other airfields across Australia. The committee notes that the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee is conducting a broad inquiry into PFOS and PFOA contamination. Its first report, tabled on 4 February 2016, was directed to contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown. The Senate committee is continuing its inquiry into PFOS and PFOA contamination at Williamtown and at other sites in Australia. I look forward to seeing the recommendations when the Senate committee tables its final report.

However, having regard to the role and responsibilities of the Public Works Committee as set out in its establishing legislation, the committee is satisfied that the AIR5431 Phases 2 and 3 project has merit from the perspectives of need, scope and cost. The committee therefore recommends that the project proceed. But the work must be managed appropriately so as not to cause or exacerbate contamination issues. To this end, the committee requires that Defence, by June 2016, provide it with an update detailing the status of contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown. The committee also requires that Defence adhere to all the recommendations made by the Hunter Water Corporation and the New South Wales EPA in association with works at RAAF Base Williamtown. Further, the committee requires Defence to work closely with Hunter Water and the New South Wales EPA on the works at RAAF Base Williamtown, including seeking input from both agencies when developing and finalising environmental plans; providing relevant information, including results from testing for contaminants, in a timely manner; and allowing adequate onsite access for monitoring and inspections. I commend this report to the House.