Wodonga residents contacted regarding potential health-related PFAS class action

Some Wodonga residents have been contacted by Shine Lawyers, the firm responsible for reaching an agreement with the Australian Defence Force for a $132.7 million payout in May 2023 for around 30,000 affected landholders near seven different military bases, including Bandiana and Wagga.

It was officially approved by the Federal Court in August.

Heather Watts and Gloria Newton, who both live on Allambie Crescent in Wodonga's south, were part of the landholders' class action and are among those to have been approached by Shine Lawyers to provide further information about their exposure to PFAS and injuries that may be linked to it.

Lawsuits for compensation for personal injury in relation to PFAS have been ongoing for several years in the US, however the Australian government has not admitted any liability for chemicals used on its Defence bases.

Ms Watts and Mrs Newton said they have both lost family members to cancer and experienced health issues from PFAS exposure.

"I think it's because we drank the water and we ate our own vegetables out of the garden," Ms Watts said.

"They haven't admitted that there is PFAS in our water, but they have admitted on their site that some water supplies were contaminated.

"You would think that if people have passed away from cancer, their families should be able to do something about it so they're not silent."

After canvassing the neighbourhood in 2020, 11 of 17 residences in Ms Watts' street had at least one cancer diagnosis, while a further 25 were revealed in a 300-metre radius, including three ovarian cancers.

She fears of another cancer cluster in future years around the White Box Rise residential estate, with housing blocks sold on the former Defence land from 2007.

A primary school, childcare centre and Wodonga's outdoor pool are also located there.

"The kids in the area are going to be there 100 per cent of the time and the ones that aren't in the area are still going to be there for several years on contaminated land at the school and the pool," Ms Watts said.

"If in 10 years or 15 years there is a wave of cancer associated with over there, all the properties will be worth nothing. It's been selling like anything at the moment because nobody cares."

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek confirmed earlier in October the Australian government would ban three of the most notorious "forever chemicals" made by US manufacturer 3M by the end of 2023, after calls from industries to stop importation and manufacturing of them.

Mrs Newton moved to Allambie Crescent in 1989 and said she was "past the point of no return", but agreed it was important to continue make others aware of the issue.

"If we hadn't walked around and asked people what they were doing about the class action, who knows what might have happened," she said.

"A lot of people thought it was rubbish and threw the letter in the bin. There were a lot of people that should have signed up that didn't."

Glenda Fogarty, who has lived in the same neighbourhood as Ms Watts and Mrs Newton for 10 years, said she has considered selling her home because of the risk of exposure to PFAS.

"A lot of newcomers come into this area with absolutely no awareness of what's happening, but they need to know," she said.

"What's happened is much bigger than money. No amount of money can replace lives."

The Australian Defence Force told The Border Mail in May it would continue to respond to PFAS contamination and manage affected areas in and around Wodonga beyond the settlement payout for impacted residents.

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