Understand the consequences if PFAS settlement fails

Defence has unfinished business in relation to remediation and may find itself down the track faced with personal injury claims.

For now though the settlement lets our community finally start focusing on our businesses, family and future. We believe our community wants to move on. Others claim that they don't. We have chosen not to respond to their claims while the Federal Court community feedback process was occurring - people should have their say.

However in Thursday's Herald our integrity as community representatives liaising with the legal team and that of the lead litigants in the PFAS class action, was questioned. Misinformation has also been pushed out into the community recently.

These false claims include that Federal Court Justice Michael Lee can order the settlement amount to be increased, that funds have already been distributed to some, and that individual amounts have already been decided. The truth is if the settlement is not approved the likely outcome is a return to court in 2021, with potentially years more litigation to follow.

Can those out there objecting guarantee that uncertain outcome will be better than the settlement in front of us? As for legal costs, what do they think will happen if we spend another three years fighting this case?

Defence dragged this matter out for five years and spent in excess of $50 million to fight the community all the way to the courtroom steps. As part of the legal process, property loss was also estimated by an independent court-appointed expert referee well before mediation took place, and those findings guide the settlement amount.

A settlement amount that was also always going to be solely for loss of property value, stress and vexation - not relocation.

So for anyone who wants to take steps to destroy the settlement, we say that's your choice. But be straight-up with the community. Tell them the potential consequences. Be prepared to own them. We own our actions. We spoke up for our own communities interests (we were not part of the Katherine or Oakey action) and did so with integrity.

There will never be a perfect solution to something as devastating as this contamination. But over 1000 days so many incredibly dedicated people in this community worked tirelessly to gain a significant victory and proposed settlement. If people want to take that away they should have a viable alternative rather than engaging in finger pointing.

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