Residents can continue to fish and eat seafood in the Cobakai Broadwater.

Select Committee on PFAS – Inquiry into extent, regulation and
management of PFAS – Submission (Jan 2025)

“…Specifically, it will focus on Airservices Australia’s fire training ground (FTG) within NSW on the west side of the runway (RWY), a leased site on GCA (Commonwealth land) just 600m upstream of the Cobaki Broadwater, lower Tweed River estuary, Tweed Heads West.

The Cobaki coastal lowland estuarine ecosystems are recognised for their National environmental and cultural heritage significance, and economic value as a NSW Class 1 major fishery.

Also, Coolangatta Creek which runs through GCA on the east side of the RWY, and from the GCA S/E boundary (bdy) flows through the urban area of Kirra to the outfall at Kirra Beach (Qld).

I began my journey of investigation subsequent to PFAS contamination coming to light at Williamtown 2015, and my observing decades of fire training weekly at GCA. Early 2016 a report was unearthed dated 2008 which confirmed the groundwater in the area of the FTG was contaminated with PFOS levels up to 470 ug/L. PFAS groundwater contaminant levels in this area 2024 are up to 2,480 ug/L.
Despite groundwater contours/flow vectors from the FTG being to the south, west and S/W to the estuary, the drainage network downstream of the FTG which discharges to the estuary has never been sampled on the GCA site between the estuary and M1 more than 16yrs on.

Also, a further key PFAS exposure pathway to this ecological and human receptor being the Coolangatta Creek overflow to the west with another discharge point to the estuary has never been sampled when surface water PFOS contaminant levels up to 26.4 ug/L were confirmed 2011, more than 13yrs ago. My research has led to me being linked directly with authorities/experts across the 3 eastern States…

2. Chronology

2006: A major spill of 16,000L of wastewater occurred at the FTG which included Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing PFAS chemicals.

2008: Groundwater PFOS contaminant levels up to 470 ug/L and PFOA 51 ug/L at the FTG. Report conclusion included, there is a potential risk to the environment and to human health due to groundwater impact from PFOS and PFOA. Wastewater from the FTG was released to the sewer.

2011: Sampling of surface water in the area of the AA leased Main Fire Station site on GCA east of the RWY adjacent to Coolangatta Creek was PFOS contaminant levels up to 26.4 ug/L. Findings of the report relevant to wastewater included, water goes directly to Coolangatta Creek.

2011-2015: Monitoring of groundwater at the FTG shows PFOS levels fluctuating up to 2,280 ug/L and PFOA up to 64.6 ug/L.

2014: AA was the proponent of a development on GCA on the west of the RWY and on the NSW Crown Reserve adjoining the GCA at the south end of the RWY which included earthworks for realignment of drainage channels and trenching. AA’s Referral submitted under the Commonwealth EPBC Act failed to disclose the groundwater at the FTG was contaminated with levels of PFOS up to 2,100 ug/L and PFOA up to 29.60 ug/L at this time. Further, the figure provided omitted a significant section of the drainage network adjacent to and downstream of the FTG (east) which had been recommended for
sampling (up/down gradient) 2008 ‘to determine the potential for impact on the receiving environment’ which to date was never undertaken.

2016: The AA submission (Feb) to the Federal PFAS Inquiry failed to disclose the known extremely high levels of groundwater PFAS contamination at their FTG leased site on GCA. Nor did they disclose this information in their evidence to the Inquiry 7/4/16.

Further, AA also had failed to disclose to NSW authorities the very high PFAS contaminant levels at their leased FTG site (NSW) on GCA – Contaminated Sites Review – Chronology of knowledge and communications regarding PFOS/PFOA contamination at AA sites – MP Taylor & I Cosenza – 28/4/16.
With NSW authorities not aware of the PFAS contamination on AA GCA leased site in this N/E corner of NSW I was asked to provide the 2008 report which I did.”