They may have settled an $86 million class-action against the federal government, but Red Zone residents will not be satisfied until their community is free from the scourge of PFAS contamination.
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More than $100 million dollars has already been spent attempting to rid the Williamtown RAAF base of the contaminant that originated in fire fighting foams.
But community spokesman and Fullerton Cove resident Lindsay Clout said while there had been some positive progress, more was needed.
Williamtown: The complete Newcastle Herald investigation
"I have had two clear (groundwater tests) at my property over the past three years," he said.
"They have obviously kicked some goals but the job is not done yet. They can't stop it (PFAS contamination) running off the base in heavy rain."
A recent Federal Court hearing heard many properties in the Red Zone had lost 20 per cent of their value in the past five years.
While the class action settlement will provide some compensation to property owners, the pollution legacy means banks will not lend for projects in the area.
"We have said from the start that the class action was only one component of the process," Mr Clout said.
"We want the environment cleaned up too."
Mr Clout is due give evidence at the next meeting of the federal government's sub-committee into PFAS Contamination.
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson, who is deputy chair of the sub-committee said she was determined to push forward with the clean-up process.
"This stuff built up in the environment over decades. I think it would be naive to expect every last skerrick will be removed but we need to push on to make sure as much as possible is removed," she said.
Mr Swanson said a national cabinet approach, similar to what has been used to manage the COVID-19 crisis, could also assist with the coordination of PFAS remediation around Australia.
"PFAS contamination affects the Department of Defence, the state government and local councils. I think it is a problem that would certainly benefit from a national cabinet approach," she said.
The Department of Defence has previously said the clean-up of the Williamtown RAAF base was an ongoing process.
Nationally it has spent more than $130 million and treated more than 1.2 billion litres of water by removing the PFAS from firefighting foam and releasing the clean water back into the environment.
In addition to the clean-up at Williamtown, it had spent $10 million for connections to town water and for Hunter Water bills for all residents and businesses living inside the Red Zone.