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Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates

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Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates – 29-30 May 2017 ANSWER TO QUESTION ON NOTICE Department of Defence Topic: List of countries that have increased their contribution in support of operations in the Middle East due to NATO request Question reference number: 1 Senator: Farrell Type of question: asked on Monday, 29 May 2017, Hansard page 12 Date set by the committee for the return of answer: 21 July 2017 Question: Senator FARRELL: You mentioned that other NATO and non-NATO countries have been asked by NATO to increase their contribution. Are we aware of any other countries that have done that? Senator Payne: I do not have a list of those with me, but I will obtain that for you. Answer: At NATO’s mid-June 2017 Force Generation Conference, 15 nations pledged additional contributions to the Resolute Support mission. Further country pledges were made at the 29 June NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting. In addition to Australia, we are aware that the United Kingdom and Lithuania have announced their intention to increase their contributions. It is not appropriate for us to comment any further on other nations’ potential commitments until they have been publically announced by their respective Governments. This information is correct as at 4 July 2017. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates – 29-30 May 2017 ANSWER TO QUESTION ON NOTICE Department of Defence Topic: Number of workers at contaminated sites Question reference number: 2 Senator: Rhiannon Type of question: asked on Monday, 29 May 2017, Hansard page 13 Date set by the committee for the return of answer: 21 July 2017 Question: Senator RHIANNON: Which Defence sites around the country are affected by PFAS contamination or are under investigation for possible contamination? Mr Grzeskowiak: We currently have 18 sites around the country that are under investigation. I will go through the list for you. RAAF Base Williamtown and Army Aviation Centre Oakey were the first two sites. The initial rounds of investigations at those sites are complete and were reported to members of the public in those areas and to relevant authorities last year. There is further work ongoing to refine those reports. As well, we have detailed site investigations ongoing at the following bases: RAAF Base Pearce, RAAF Base East Sale, HMAS Albatross, RAAF Base Edinburgh, RAAF Base Townsville, RAAF Base Amberley, the Jervis Bay Range Facility, RAAF Base Tindal, RAAF Base Darwin, RAAF Base Wagga, HMAS Cerberus, HMAS Stirling and RAAF Base Richmond. There are three other investigations that we are intending to undertake—they are not yet on contract but they should be before the end of June: Holsworthy Barracks, Albury Wodonga Military Area and Robertson Barracks. That is a total of 18 for all of those sites. Senator RHIANNON: Do you have any information on how many workers either work or live near those sites? I am referring there to defence personnel and any other staff who may be subcontracted or visiting. Mr Grzeskowiak: I could not provide that information. Senator RHIANNON: Could you take it on notice? Mr Grzeskowiak: We could take it on notice, but the definition of who lives in the area and the like would be vague. We certainly know how many people work on those bases and may turn up to work on those bases. We can have a look at that. It would be an approximate figure. Senator RHIANNON: An approximate figure for the number working on the bases? Mr Grzeskowiak: It depends on the scope of your question. Senator RHIANNON: I am happy to reframe it. Can you take on notice how many workers are working on these sites. I am referring to the defence personnel and any subcontractors or staff who are directly or indirectly working for the defence department. Mr Grzeskowiak: That is something we can take on notice and we should be able to get a reasonable answer to that question. Answer: The numbers of Australian Defence Force reservists and the numbers of other personnel such as; service providers, contractors and consultants, reflect the number of people with access to the sites. The numbers of people that are actually present at the sites varies considerably on any given day. A list of Australian Defence Force, Australian Public Service and other personnel with access to the contaminated sites is at Attachment A. Attachment A RAAF Base Williamtown Australian Defence Force Permanent: 2,515 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 623 Australian Public Service: 399 Other: 4,133 Army Aviation Centre Oakey Australian Defence Force Permanent: 381 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 31 Australian Public Service: 112 Other: 917 RAAF Base Pearce Australian Defence Force Permanent: 255 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 265 Australian Public Service: 34 Other: 744 RAAF Base East Sale Australian Defence Force Permanent: 503 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 75 Australian Public Service: 95 Other: 971 HMAS Albatross Australian Defence Force Permanent: 1,178 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 95 Australian Public Service: 226 Other: 1,714 Attachment A RAAF Base Edinburgh Australian Defence Force Permanent: 3,158 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 485 Australian Public Service: 495 Other: 3,535 RAAF Base Townsville Australian Defence Force Permanent: 884 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 158 Australian Public Service: 38 Other: 776 RAAF Base Amberley Australian Defence Force Permanent: 3,330 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 1231 Australian Public Service: 255 Other: 3,799 Jervis Bay Range Facility (HMAS Creswell ACT) Australian Defence Force Permanent: 223 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 23 Australian Public Service: 14 Other: 0 RAAF Base Tindal Australian Defence Force Permanent: 531 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 19 Australian Public Service: 11 Other: 595 Attachment A RAAF Base Darwin Australian Defence Force Permanent: 381 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 98 Australian Public Service: 26 Other: 655 RAAF Base Wagga Australian Defence Force Permanent: 742 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 79 Australian Public Service: 52 Other: 660 HMAS Cerberus Australian Defence Force Permanent: 1,531 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 179 Australian Public Service: 56 Other: 722 HMAS Stirling Australian Defence Force Permanent: 1,204 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 169 Australian Public Service: 221 Other: 2,302 RAAF Base Richmond Australian Defence Force Permanent: 1,350 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 434 Australian Public Service: 180 Other: 1,171 Attachment A Holsworthy Barracks Australian Defence Force Permanent: 2,305 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 750 Australian Public Service: 88 Other: 1,546 Albury/Wodonga Military Area Australian Defence Force Permanent: 1,355 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 98 Australian Public Service: 194 Other: 1,603 Robertson Barracks Australian Defence Force Permanent: 2,978 Australian Defence Force Reserves: 74 Australian Public Service: 59 Other: 836 Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates – 29-30 May 2017 ANSWER TO QUESTION ON NOTICE Department of Defence Topic: Union access to contaminated Defence sites Question reference number: 3 Senator: Rhiannon Type of question: asked on Monday 29 May 2017, Hansard page 14 Date set by the committee for the return of answer: 21 July 2017 Question: Senator RHIANNON: Have any requests from unions to go on to any of these bases about the contamination issue not been granted? Mr Grzeskowiak: I am not aware of any. Senator RHIANNON: Can you take it on notice, please? Mr Grzeskowiak: I can take that on notice to check. Answer: Defence has not declined any union access requests to Defence Per- and Poly- Fluroalkyl Substance (PFAS) investigation sites. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates – 29-30 May 2017 ANSWER TO QUESTION ON NOTICE Department of Defence Topic: Name of chemical in, and material safety data sheet for, Ansulite firefighting foam Question reference number: 4 Senator: Rhiannon Type of question: asked on Monday, 29 May 2017, Hansard page 14 Date set by the committee for the return of answer: 21 July 2017 Question: Senator RHIANNON: I understand that Defence use the firefighting foam Ansulite at all RAAF bases across Australia. Is that the only firefighting foam used by Defence at the moment? Mr Grzeskowiak: That is the main product that we use for actually putting out fires that are associated with incidents. We do have another product that is used in some of our training establishments, which is described as a training foam, which is completely free of any of these PFAS chemicals. That is not widely used. It is— Senator RHIANNON: Could you give me the name of that chemical, please? Mr Grzeskowiak: I will take it on notice rather than put incorrect evidence forward… Senator RHIANNON: Are the material safety data sheets for these foams publicly available? Mr Grzeskowiak: Yes, they are. They are available on the websites of the companies that manufacture them. Senator RHIANNON: I have not been able to find them, so I was going to ask if you could release them. If you are saying that they are there, can you provide the links for them? Mr Grzeskowiak: We can make available copies of the data sheets. Senator Payne: And provide the links as well—that is fine. Answer: The Department of Defence sources Ansulite for firefighting capability. The Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals Defence uses are publicly available at the links below: https://www.wormald.com.au/uploads/files/resources/Ansulite3AFFF_ICAO- B_Jul13.pdf https://www.wormald.com.au/uploads/files/resources/Ansulite6AFFF_ICA0- B_Jul131.pdf At shared airports (RAAF Base Townville and RAAF Base Darwin), Defence uses Airservices Australia to provide firefighting capability, using Aqueous Film Forming Foam approved by Defence. The current Aqueous Film Forming Foam used by Defence is Ansulite, which is consistent with current departmental policy. Defence and Airservices Australia use Solberg for training activities.
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