Brian Burston (NSW, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. As you are aware, toxic chemicals used in firefighting foam have leaked from the Williamtown RAAF Base at Salt Ash, near Newcastle. The toxic chemicals have been found in water and fish and they have leached into the soil. Residents have been told not to drink bore water or eat any fish or eggs produced in the contaminated area, called the 'red zone'. As well as Salt Ash, the Department of Defence is investigating 18 sites throughout Australia for contamination, including the Oakey Army Aviation Centre, in Queensland. During the election campaign the Prime Minister promised $55 million for blood testing in epidemiology studies in areas across the country adversely affected by firefighting foam contamination. Given the acute threat to residents—that is, the chemicals found at Salt Ash and Oakey have been linked with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerated colitis, thyroid disease, hypertension and medically diagnosed high cholesterol—when will the blood testing epidemiology studies begin?