Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to acknowledge Senator McCarthy's question and the briefing that Defence has provided to Senator McCarthy on this particular matter. We have a number of investigations under way across Australia—in excess of 18 at this stage. I don't have with me the date on which I was advised in relation to Katherine, but this is a very comprehensive environmental investigation program across the country, as you know. Local communities are advised as the testing is to commence in their particular area and that starts to take place.

In relation to matters concerning water, Defence has worked closely with Northern Territory Power and Water Corporation and the Northern Territory government. In fact, I released a media statement with the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory some time ago in relation to the water treatment plant that was to be provided to the Katherine community to assist with the management of the PFAS contamination. The announcement was made on 9 August this year that we would provide an interim ECT2 water treatment plant to help reduce the amount of PFAS in the Katherine town water supply. That plant arrived in Katherine in late September and is expected to be operational at the end of this month. It's being installed, tested and so on to ensure that it can get that work underway. Its role is to treat PFAS-affected bore water prior to being blended with river water to generate the town water supply. That's obviously particularly relevant in the dry season, as you would be well aware. It will filter PFAS from the bore water before it enters the purification and blending process in the Power and Water Corporation's water treatment plant. It will be capable of processing the majority of bore water currently required for the town water supply. Importantly, the average PFAS levels in the supply remain below the Department of Health guidance values— (Time expired)