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

I, of course, continue to have ongoing discussions with my ministerial colleagues across a range of portfolios on this issue, and the Defence department stands ready to assist in whatever capacity it is asked to do by government. As the senator has alluded to, the task force managing the PFAS issue is a Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet task force, which is leading the whole-of-government response to contamination across Commonwealth sites. Its work was adverted to in the response tabled by Senator McGrath earlier this week.

I note, as I said in my earlier remarks, that this is a very complex legacy issue. It doesn't just impact Defence sites. In fact, around Australia we know that it is impacting aviation sites, industrial waste facilities, fuel storage facilities, chemical storage facilities, fire authorities—and there have been a number of reports on that. The department works closely with other members of the Commonwealth agencies that form the task force, and we'll support communities as best we can. (Time expired)