Up to 40,000 to sue Australian Government in country’s largest class action

PHOTO: Sites around Australia contaminated by PFOS and PFOA. Source: Supplied

The largest class action ever launched in Australia will be filed against the Federal Government by Christmas.

Up to 40,000 people living and working on land contaminated by the chemical compound PFAS will be covered by the action, which will be lodged against the Australian Government in the Federal Court.

Shine Lawyers told news.com.au the documents would be filed before Christmas and will focus on the impact of the contamination on people’s property prices.

It will be an open class action meaning that people don’t need to sign up to join in but they can opt-out if they prefer not to be involved.

Shine Lawyers estimates up to 40,000 will be covered.

The lawyers will argue that residents living in PFAS contaminated areas have seen their property prices fall, in some cases by up to 50 per cent. They believe the Federal Government should provide enough compensation to allow residents to leave these unsafe communities.

“PFAS has leached into the environment well beyond the boundaries of defence force bases and fire stations into communities across Australia,” Shine Lawyers national special counsel Joshua Aylward said.

“It’s in the rivers and the creeks and the fish and the people.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with people who are crying because they’ve found out that their water is contaminated, and they’ve been drinking it for years.