A long-time advocate for cancer support on the Border doesn't believe much of the community has awareness about the dangers of PFAS.
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Heather Watts, one of many Wodonga and Bandiana residents in the class action against the Australian Defence Force for its use of firefighting foam containing "forever chemicals" that accumulate in the body, continues to raise concerns.
The White Box Rise estate has been developed on former Army land over the past 15 years and Ms Watts, founder of the now defunct Border Ovarian Cancer Awareness Group, doubts many would have chosen to live there if they knew what is known now about PFAS.
A resident of Allambie Crescent, where in 2021 11 of 17 homes in the street had cancer diagnoses, Ms Watts admitted she wouldn't choose to live in that part of Wodonga if she knew the land was contaminated.
"The people that live there, do they know all about this? I don't believe so," she said.
"It speaks for itself the amount of cancer we found and was never reported. The people that rang up from Warsaw Crescent and the amount of cancers (14 known diagnoses) in that one street," she said.
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"That's just too much of a coincidence and do people realise that? I don't think so.
"This is what the class action is about, trying to get compensation for these people, but they've still got to live there. There's no point in people like me moving, we've been here too long."
The company has started the court-ordered process of notifying members of the settlement, which is subject to approval.
Justice Michael Lee is still to determine whether the amount, dependent on the circumstances of each site, is fair and reasonable.
Shine Lawyers also heads a case regarding PFAS contamination in Wreck Bay, on the NSW south coast.
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Beau Greenway
Beau Greenway is a journalist at The Border Mail. He likes to tell the stories of great people in our communities. Email: beau.greenway@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Beau Greenway is a journalist at The Border Mail. He likes to tell the stories of great people in our communities. Email: beau.greenway@austcommunitymedia.com.au
