1
00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,360
Speaker 1: We know that the Assistant Minister for Defense and Veterans

2
00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,000
Speaker 1: Affairs has just announced this independent review of land uses

3
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,800
Speaker 1: around key defense bases impacted by p FAS contamination. The

4
00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,080
Speaker 1: Minister joins me on the line right now, the Assistant

5
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,440
Speaker 1: Minister for Defense and Veterans Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, Good morning

6
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:20,079
Speaker 1: to your minister.

7
00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,240
Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, great to talk to you again.

8
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,639
Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you so much for your time this morning. Now, Minister,

9
00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,040
Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about this announcement that

10
00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,680
Speaker 1: has just been made this morning around the review of

11
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:37,400
Speaker 1: land uses by key defense bases impacted by p FAS contamination.

12
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,080
Speaker 2: Him the lead up to the twenty twenty two election, Katie,

13
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,479
Speaker 2: the Labor Party promised that if we're elected that where

14
00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:51,360
Speaker 2: would conduct an independent review of land use around defense bases.

15
00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,160
Speaker 3: That are contaminated by p FAS, And.

16
00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,920
Speaker 2: Today we're delivering on that commitment and we've announced it.

17
00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,000
Speaker 2: Jim Margie will be appointed to conduct six months review

18
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,600
Speaker 2: land use around defense bases that have PREFAS contamination and

19
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:12,560
Speaker 2: advised the government about practical solutions to how we can repurpose.

20
00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,160
Speaker 3: That land and provide some support.

21
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,840
Speaker 2: And relief for residents and communities that have been affected

22
00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:19,240
Speaker 2: by that PREFAS contamination.

23
00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,280
Speaker 1: Minister, this is something that those communities that have been

24
00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,119
Speaker 1: affected by PFAS have been calling for for quite some time.

25
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:29,240
Speaker 1: Why is it only happening now.

26
00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,400
Speaker 2: Well, this is an election commitment from the government and

27
00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 2: we're delivering it as soon as we possibly could. I

28
00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,200
Speaker 2: certainly appreciate that communities that have been affected by PFAS

29
00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,080
Speaker 2: contamination are frustrated they've been given the run around over

30
00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,760
Speaker 2: the last decade. There's been numerous Senate inquiries and reports,

31
00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,080
Speaker 2: and we're making sure that we appoint someone that has

32
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,600
Speaker 2: the skill and expertise. And Jim certainly had a thirty

33
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,200
Speaker 2: five year who's experience working in the public sector and

34
00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,400
Speaker 2: fifteen years in the private sector. He's dealt with a

35
00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:10,960
Speaker 2: number of difficult issues for governments throughout the country and

36
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,160
Speaker 2: we're hopeful that he'll come up with some practical recommendations

37
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,840
Speaker 2: that will provide some support for those communities and ultimately

38
00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,040
Speaker 2: try and try and give some relief to residents and

39
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,399
Speaker 2: landholders that have been frustrated and have had this inconvenience

40
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:27,600
Speaker 2: over their land for so long.

41
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,200
Speaker 1: So talk our listeners through exactly what the review is

42
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,560
Speaker 1: going to look into and how it's going to help them,

43
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,480
Speaker 1: particularly for those here in the Northern Territory.

44
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,120
Speaker 2: Well, the review will look at options for people and

45
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,480
Speaker 2: those options may include that we can repurpose the land

46
00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,560
Speaker 2: that is adjacent to defense bases, look at rezonings and

47
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:56,920
Speaker 2: things like that to support perhaps defense industry and the

48
00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:58,400
Speaker 2: growth of that around bases.

49
00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,000
Speaker 3: How we can work collectively.

50
00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,959
Speaker 2: With local government, perhaps on infrastructure projects. All of these

51
00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,120
Speaker 2: options will be on the table and will be looked

52
00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,079
Speaker 2: at by the reviewer, but ultimately the decisions will come

53
00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:13,280
Speaker 2: down to the landholders.

54
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:14,800
Speaker 3: So anything that we.

55
00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,320
Speaker 2: Look at will be voluntary, and it's about providing people

56
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,840
Speaker 2: with options because I know they've been frustrated for so long.

57
00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,359
Speaker 2: They've had restrictions on what they can consume from their land,

58
00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,920
Speaker 2: restrictions on how they can use the land, restrictions on

59
00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,440
Speaker 2: the use of water on their land where there's been

60
00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,280
Speaker 2: p pas contamination, and it's frustrating. And we want to

61
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,120
Speaker 2: provide people with some options and some solutions to remove

62
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,120
Speaker 2: those frustrations and ultimately ensure that they have value for

63
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,119
Speaker 2: money with their land as well, because there's.

64
00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,720
Speaker 3: Been diminution and the value of land associated with those.

65
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,120
Speaker 1: Restrictions, and so in terms of those restrictions, will we

66
00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,800
Speaker 1: have to wait until the review is complete before they

67
00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,480
Speaker 1: may or may not be lifted. What's the situation with

68
00:03:58,520 --> 00:03:59,360
Speaker 1: the restrictions.

69
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, the review will certainly advise the government, and.

70
00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,200
Speaker 3: We've instructed the reviewer through the terms of reference, to.

71
00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,640
Speaker 2: Work with all three levels of government, with local, state,

72
00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:14,360
Speaker 2: and federal government on those solutions. But I should say Katie,

73
00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,159
Speaker 2: that Defense will continue the work that it's been doing.

74
00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,960
Speaker 2: They've spent six hundred and eighty one million dollars nationwide.

75
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,080
Speaker 3: On remediation and removing contamination.

76
00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,920
Speaker 2: In the Tinder area. There's been seventy million dollars spent

77
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:34,200
Speaker 2: on water treatment facilities, stabilization of the land. That work

78
00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,600
Speaker 2: will continue. This review gives us the option of what

79
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,039
Speaker 2: we do and provide relief for residents around the bases

80
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,560
Speaker 2: so that they can have some comfort moving forward and

81
00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,440
Speaker 2: a bit more certainty.

82
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,760
Speaker 1: Minister, how long is it going to take before it

83
00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:48,479
Speaker 1: is come place?

84
00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,840
Speaker 2: We've given the review of six months, so it's pretty

85
00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:53,800
Speaker 2: short inquiry.

86
00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:55,680
Speaker 3: He's hit the ground running.

87
00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,880
Speaker 2: He's conducting consultations on in Williamtown today for the announcement,

88
00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:01,360
Speaker 2: and he's going.

89
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,000
Speaker 3: To meet with a representative sample of people.

90
00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,040
Speaker 2: He was up in Kashrin a couple of weeks ago

91
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,560
Speaker 2: when we were up there when we conducted the community consultation.

92
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,080
Speaker 2: Jim was there and he had some conversations with local residents,

93
00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,040
Speaker 2: with local government representatives and defense representatives, and he'll continue

94
00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,039
Speaker 2: that work across the country. I should also say that

95
00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,040
Speaker 2: there's three bases that are the focus of this inquiry

96
00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,960
Speaker 2: there William Town, Kindall in the Northern Territory and Oakey

97
00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,520
Speaker 2: in Queensland, But there are twenty eight bases across the

98
00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,800
Speaker 2: country that are affected by PFAS and anyone, anyone that

99
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,080
Speaker 2: lives around one of those bases or indeed has an

100
00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,720
Speaker 2: interest in this issue can put a submission.

101
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,360
Speaker 3: Into this inquiry as well.

102
00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,479
Speaker 2: It's not restricted to residents around those three bases. We're

103
00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,880
Speaker 2: opening up to the Australian people. I'm a keen to

104
00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:54,600
Speaker 2: hit their views.

105
00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm glad to hear that, because that was actually

106
00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,880
Speaker 1: going to be my next question. Is it just going

107
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,160
Speaker 1: to be for those three communities or will it be

108
00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,240
Speaker 1: you know, will it be a bit broader? And by

109
00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,360
Speaker 1: the sounds of things, it is going to be broader. Minister,

110
00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,280
Speaker 1: how will there be for the sort of public consultation

111
00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,279
Speaker 1: as well, and can we expect that here in the territory.

112
00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, you certainly can. There's the submission option that people

113
00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,159
Speaker 2: can go to the defense website it's been established and

114
00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:26,040
Speaker 2: put a submission in. The reviewer can pull out individual

115
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,760
Speaker 2: submissions and whole consultations with people. And there's the group

116
00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,360
Speaker 2: consultations as well, similar to the one that was conducted

117
00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,120
Speaker 2: in Katherine a couple of weeks ago, and the review

118
00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,040
Speaker 2: will make himself available to local communities to hear their

119
00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 2: concerns well.

120
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,200
Speaker 1: Assistant Minister for Defense and Veterans, Matt Fizlthwaite, we really

121
00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,640
Speaker 1: appreciate your time this morning. Thank you very much for

122
00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,679
Speaker 1: having a chat with us.

123
00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:52,880
Speaker 3: Great to talk to you again, Katie.

124
00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:53,760
Speaker 1: Thanks, thank you,