Two Community Walk-In Sessions were hosted by the Department of Defence on Wednesday December 14 for residents and businesses impacted by the ongoing contamination issue.

Ostensibly, the sessions were held to provide those negatively affected with information about the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) report carried out at the RAAF Base Williamtown.

However, the Walk-In Session did not meet the needs of all local residents.

Speaking to Medowie News Of The Area, Mr Cain Gorfine from the Williamtown And Surrounds Residents’ Action Group said, “Yet again the community left the Defence Session frustrated and angry.”

“Defence admitted that the chemicals are still leaving the base on a daily basis into the surrounding community, but that clean-up efforts have only been explored on base with no consideration given to the local residents or their properties.”

With news in that the Hunter Estuary Wetlands has also been impacted by the Williamtown contamination, it is likely that many communities, both ecological and human, are going to have to deal with the fall out of Defence decision making for years to come.

For more information about the report, visit www.defence.gov.au/id/Williamtown/

By Heather SHARP