Bullsbrook residents' row with Defence Department continues over PFAS 'forever' chemicals
Bullsbrook, north of Perth, is home to one of several sites across the country which were contaminated with chemicals from firefighting foam used at military bases.
PFAS — or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — is an umbrella term for a group of chemicals that do not break down, and can accumulate in soil, water, and human bodies.
The federal government settled a class action in 2023 over PFAS contamination at seven sites, including Bullsbrook, and paid $132.7 million to about 30,000 claimants.
Defence has been working to connect more than 200 properties in Bullsbrook to scheme water by March 2026, including installing devices to prevent water from properties flowing back into the mains system.
The project is part of the "management and remediation" of PFAS contamination around the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Pearce air base.
However, progress has reached a standstill for some residents who believe the internal pipework and hot water systems in their properties also need to be replaced, which the ABC understands the department has refused to do.
In letters sent to residents in 2022, seen by the ABC, the Department of Defence outlined the funding arrangement for scheme water connections in West Bullsbrook.
"Defence will fund any infrastructure required to connect the property to the mains pipeline, as well as any necessary plumbing works on your property and dwelling," the letter said.
Bullsbrook resident Reannan Haswell said the "necessary plumbing works" should include pipes and water systems inside homes.
"I still can't believe we're having this conversation ... you've got a contaminated source, it sent water through pipes, it's contaminated your whole household," Ms Haswell said.
The department has agreed to fund the scheme water connection and the installation of back-flow prevention devices.
Ms Haswell was the lead applicant in the class action lawsuit against the Commonwealth.
Last month, she raised concerns with Defence that residents would ultimately still be using potentially contaminated water if internal piping was not replaced.
In an email response to Ms Haswell, the department said it had no record of any commitment to replace pipework or hot water systems in homes.
"At the time of water connection, Defence will provide instructions for the flushing of internal pipes in the residences where PFAS-impacted groundwater was previously used," the email read.
"Defence will offer to collect water samples from your taps for analysis to ensure the water meets the Australian standards for safe drinking with respect to PFAS concentrations."
Ms Haswell said she wasn't convinced they could flush the pipes clean of PFAS.
"You can't flush it ... hence why the original plan of a portable filtration device on everyone's premise back in 2016 was not an option," she said.
The Department of Defence had not responded to the ABC's enquiries by the time of publication.
Ms Haswell said she felt compelled to speak out for impacted residents and taxpayers.
"I thought a class action would have had that nailed on the head ... it's still not fixed, it's still not resolved," she said.
"They're just woefully wasting money to give people scheme water that's not safe."
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
How RFK Jr is eroding global trust in vaccines
Sam Hawley: Donald Trump once declared them a medical miracle. Now his health secretary is taking an axe to them. Robert F Kennedy Jr doesn't believe in the science behind mRNA vaccines that were deployed across the world during COVID, and he's cut nearly half a billion dollars in research funding. Today, public health professor at Sydney Uni, Julie Leask, on what Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance means for global health. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Daily. Julie, why don't we start with a reminder of Robert F Kennedy Jr's history when it comes to vaccines and science? He is a sceptic, and he doesn't mind a conspiracy theory or two, does he? Julie Leask: Yeah, exactly. He doesn't. Sen. Chris Murphy: Are you actually still recommending people get the vaccine, or are you not? Robert F. Kennedy Jnr: Senator, if I advise you to swim in a lake that I knew there to be alligators in. Wouldn't you want me to tell you there were alligators in it? Julie Leask: So he first really got very interested in vaccines in 2005 when he was hearing from parents about their concerns about autism and a belief that vaccines linked to autism. Now, they came to him because he'd been an environmental lawyer litigating governments and companies over environmental pollutions, you know, the lakes, the lands. And so I think he kind of carried that theme of being against pollution. In this case, he started to believe that vaccines pollute the body, if you like. And that's been quite an intense campaign for him in the last 20 years since the publication of this infamous article in Rolling Stones magazine called Deadly Immunity, which was retracted. Sam Hawley: And just to make clear, there is no scientific evidence that vaccines are linked to autism. Julie Leask: No, there's not. This has been looked into over decades now, and many large and well-done, rigorous studies repeatedly show no link between vaccines and autism. Senator Bernie Sanders: The evidence is there. That's it. Vaccines do not cause autism. Do you agree with that? Robert F. Kennedy Jnr: As I said, I'm not going to go into HHS with any preordained... Senator Bernie Sanders: I ask you a simple question, Bobby. Studies all over the world say it does not. What do you think? Robert F. Kennedy Jnr: If you show me those studies, I will absolutely, as I promised to Chairman Cassidy, I will apologize. Senator Bernie Sanders: That is a very troubling response. Julie Leask: And what's tragic there is that this idea keeps being resurrected and fed, and that's awful for parents of children with autism who are trying to understand the causes. And it really is redirecting resources away from better understanding and better science around this into what's really just a dead-end cause. Sam Hawley: Yeah, he often rejects established science. He's also rejected that when it comes to HIV and AIDS, that HIV causes AIDS. He's questioned the safety of polio and measles vaccines. He's falsely linked antidepressants to school shootings, and it goes on and on, right? Julie Leask: It does. And so it was so deeply concerning when it started to look like he would lead up the US Health and Human Services, which is essentially the role of the health minister for the United States. And that's what has happened. So our worst possible nightmare is coming true. Sam Hawley: Yeah. All right. Well, he says he's not an anti-vaxxer, but in 2021, he told Louisiana lawmakers that the coronavirus vaccine is the deadliest vaccine ever made. Robert F. Kennedy Jnr: Now, if you look at their post-licensing record, it confirms that this is the deadliest vaccine ever made. Sam Hawley: Now, that's just not true, is it? It's not. Julie Leask: It's completely false. In fact, the coronavirus vaccines are estimated to save many millions of lives. Now, this vaccine does carry some rare serious side effects. So the mRNA COVID vaccines are known to potentially cause myocarditis or pericarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle or the area around the heart. And also, of course, you know, common minor side effects. So it's not like vaccines are risk free and nobody is ever saying that. But what RFK Jr has done is sort of perpetuate junk science, made it look like there are all these studies showing the vaccine to be unsafe, when in fact the benefits of this vaccine far outweigh what are known risks of rare but serious side effects. Sam Hawley: All right, well, Julie, that's a reminder of RFK Jr's view on medicine and science. Now, as you say, he is leading the health system in America. And in June, he fired all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on immunisations. Just tell me about that and who replaced all these people. Julie Leask: So, this committee is very important. I mean, the equivalent in Australia is what people might have heard of as ATAGI, which is the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. These committees around the world are high level experts who have done a lot of research and published on vaccination and have deep expertise. They're vetted very carefully. They form a committee that looks at the evidence around vaccines, their safety, their benefits, their cost effectiveness. And they then make recommendations to the government. So he fired all 17 members of this committee and he replaced them with eight individuals. And the new committee consisted of some people who had a bit of a track record in vaccination, but themselves usually tended to be COVID lockdown sceptics or very critical of the government's responses, which aligned with how he thought. Also, there are some vaccine sceptics on that committee. There are very, very clever people who are new to vaccination. And there are some people who are just extremely low on any vaccination expertise, but handpicked by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., because of their positions that are more likely to align with his very marginal views. And that has really caused a great deal of concern among the US medical community, public health community and also among policy advisors as well because of the ramifications of this. Sam Hawley: Hmm. All right. So he puts this new, really controversial committee in place. And then, Julie, last week he cancelled nearly 500 million dollars of grants and contracts for developing mRNA vaccines. Now, this was the technology, of course, used during the pandemic. Just give me your initial reaction when you saw that news. Julie Leask: I was not surprised, but also very concerned, as I have been, about the sort of, I'd say, public health vandalism that the Trump administration are engaging in public health globally and, of course, locally in vaccination programs. So mRNA vaccines have helped save millions of lives by stopping people from getting really severe COVID and dying from it. They also hold promise for enabling us to quickly pivot to vaccine development with a new virus that could be the next pandemic. So one of the concerns has been about avian influenza, bird flu. This mRNA technology enables you to quickly develop the vaccine without sort of having to sort of grow the incubate, the germ in eggs and take six months or more in production. So there's so much promise with these vaccines. And then the therapeutics have promise and are being studied for their ability to treat cancer and certain types of anemia. So huge promise. And it's just driven a massive wedge in that scientific field and in development. So we're going to see a big brain drain in mRNA science, particularly from the US, where there's been so much exciting and positive work. Sam Hawley: Well, in a video released on social media, RFK Jr. argued that mRNA vaccines don't work. Robert F. Kennedy Jnr: After reviewing the science and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk and benefits for these respiratory viruses. Sam Hawley: And then he then said in a statement that they encourage new mutations and can actually, he says, prolong pandemics. That's his view. How damaging are those words? Julie Leask: They are damaging. A lot of my research is in how people respond to these kinds of messages. What this is doing, and it's unique, this is one of the most influential countries in the world when it comes to vaccine science and policy. And it now has its leadership, someone who is ostensibly, by their actions, demonstrated to be an anti-vaccination activist in the health portfolio. And this is going to really supercharge not just the vaccine misinformation that is peddling, but also diminish people's confidence in vaccines because we rely a great deal on trust and trust in the expert systems that produce and recommend vaccines. And now the public are being told, yes, trust those systems and those experts, except when it comes to the United States. So in a way, we're having to sort of do this dual thing of saying, trust us, but don't trust them. And that becomes incredibly confusing and difficult for the public. Sam Hawley: And presumably that's not contained within America. Faith in public health, that could have an impact here too, right? In a GP surgery in Australia. Julie Leask: It could and, you know, we're hearing from the nurses and nurses are the biggest providers of vaccines. I'm a former nurse myself and a midwife. We're hearing from them around the country that they're getting more and more questions about vaccine, the schedule in the first year of life. You know, whether there are too many vaccines given, whether they're really that necessary, because these what we're seeing is very marginal positions and now being, you know, allegedly legitimised by the US administration. So it is going to affect Australia. We might not be seeing too much of it yet, but we will in the coming years as this administration continues to reap the havoc on public health. Sam Hawley: Well, Julie, Donald Trump, we presume, is backing this move, even though he hailed mRNA vaccines as a medical miracle during the pandemic. And he did seem to still support the technology when he was asked about the funding cut by a reporter last week. Journalist: You were the driving force behind Operation Warp Speed, these mRNA vaccines that are the gold standard. Now your health secretary is pulling back all the funding for research. He's saying that the risks outweigh the benefits, which puts him at odds with the entire medical community and with you. What is going on? Donald Trump, US President: Research on what? Journalist: Into mRNA vaccines. Donald Trump, US President: Well, we're going to look at that. We're talking about it and they're doing a very good job. Operation Warp Speed was, whether you're Republican or Democrat, considered one of the most incredible things ever done in this country. Sam Hawley: So what do you fear? What do you think we might see next from RFK Jr.? Julie Leask: It's going to be very interesting because Trump likes chaos. That's pretty clear from what he's done. And even saying about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I'm going to let Bobby go wild on health. So if he's sort of seen or feels like the technologies that he once promoted are now being undermined by his health secretary, he might start to push back against that. And really, the hope would be that he doesn't like to see quite so much damage being done to this technology. It's, as always with Trump, sometimes quite hard to predict what he will do. Sam Hawley: But it sounds like if this isn't reversed, it could have very severe and lasting consequences for the world. Exactly. Julie Leask: And, you know, it will not just undermine our access to these technologies, but it's undermining public confidence. And one of the things that we think is very important is getting people mentally ready for the sorts of misinformation they might hear about vaccines, such as, you know, we found the cause of autism, it's this or that ingredient of vaccines. And therefore, you know, avoid having it. And then the government could probably be stronger in the way it supports research and development. So if we've lost all this capacity in the US, there's that opportunity that comes with that, that we can capture some, harness some of that lost talent from the US and augment our existing incredible talent we've got here in Australia too. Sam Hawley: Julie Leask is a professor of public health at the University of Sydney's Infectious Diseases Institute. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead. Audio production by Cinnamon Nippard and Sam Dunn. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. ABC News Daily will be back again on Monday. Thanks for listening.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Latest wastewater report reveals Australians consumed 22 tonnes of illicit drugs over one year
The latest wastewater report has revealed Australians consumed more than 20 tonnes of illicit drugs worth billions of dollars over one year. The report, released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), found 22.2 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA worth an estimated $11.5bn were used by Australians between August 2023 to August 2024. Authorities found cocaine use had risen 69 per cent from the previous year, MDMA use rose 49 per cent, meth use 21 per cent and heroin use rose by 14 per cent. The dramatic rise in drug use was attributed to the recovery of the illicit drug market following Covid-19 restrictions as organised crime groups quickly re-established and expanded their operations to supply markets. ACIC chief executive officer Heather Cook said serious and organised crime remained an enduring threat to Australia's national security and safety. 'Serious and organised crime groups exploit Australia's high demand for illicit drugs and are focused on maximising profit at the expense of the community's security and wellbeing,' she said. 'The 2.2 tonne increase in national meth consumption is concerning because 12.8 tonnes is the highest annual level recorded by the program and the drug causes significant community harm. 'Similarly, there has been a large increase in national cocaine consumption, also to the highest annual level recorded by our wastewater program.' Record high meth, MDA and ketamine consumption was detected in capital cities and record high heroin use was found in regional areas. The average regional consumption of alcohol, nicotine, MDA, methylamphetamine, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis exceeded capital city consumption. Ms Cook said wastewater data combined with other drugs-related information helped authorities develop a comprehensive understanding of illicit drug markets. 'This combined data strongly indicates a concerning level of market growth, extending beyond the markets for illicit stimulants,' she said. 'This challenge can only be met though concerted and co-ordinated effort under the three pillars of the National Drug Strategy: demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction.' The report found the Northern Territory consumed nicotine and alcohol at rates above the national average. Regional sites South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria had the highest average meth consumption. Adelaide and Perth were the capital cities with the highest meth use, while the highest cocaine use was recorded in Sydney. For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Bindi Irwin shares life-changing health update after decade-long battle
Bindi Irwin has given a heartwarming update in her long battle with endometriosis following her diagnosis in 2023, which came after a decade of chronic pain. In a post on Instagram, Bindi went into detail about her years-long struggle and revealed that after her latest surgery she is 'finally' beginning to feel like she is 'healing' for the first time. '51 endometriosis lesions, a cyst, and my appendix were all removed across two surgeries with @seckinmd. My hernia from giving birth that was unzipping - was taken care of. I can FINALLY say that I'm feeling better. Genuinely healing.' Bindi previously underwent emergency surgery in May, which meant she missed a gala honouring her late father. 'I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain. Slowly, slowly gaining my strength back,' her latest post continued. 'I cannot express the gravity of my emotions as I am beginning to recognise myself again. 'I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. 'I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak. That is not OK.' She concluded: 'Young girls and women shouldn't feel alone with pain in the driver's seat of their lives. 'We need to take away the stigma of talking about women's health. It's time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale.' Last year, Bindi shared that she had been suffering for years with endometriosis. Her story quickly resonated with hundreds of thousands of other Aussie women who had been struggling in silence. While she was nervous to open up publicly, she's now grateful she was brave enough to do so. 'It is scary when you open up about your most vulnerable and painful times, when you talk about when you felt you were sitting in a very large hole and didn't know if you were going to crawl out,' she told Courier Mail. Before she shared her story, Bindi revealed that she struggled with people judging her without being aware of the battle she was fighting privately. 'It took me so long to talk about it, nobody knew what was happening to me except my mum (Terri Irwin), my brother Robert and my husband Chandler (Powell). 'Everyone else thought I was becoming this flaky person because I would bow out of commitment after commitment at the last minute because I was in so much pain,' she added before explaining how uncomfortable she was with being asked when she planned on having more children. 'When I went through endo and people would ask, 'When are you and Chandler having another child?' I used to think, 'If you could see on the outside what it feels like on the inside you would never ask.' It would completely change the way you approach somebody. 'You know, some people don't want another child, some can't have another child, and some people have gone through enormous loss and heartbreak before they have their much wanted child.'
