PFAS was traditionally used in firefighting foams at many defence bases including the Jervis Bay Range, HMAS Creswell and HMAS Albatross.

Defence has recently started additional investigations and environmental monitoring in the vicinity of identified PFAS source areas to obtain a better understanding of how PFAS is migrating off defence land and into receiving waters.

That work is expected to be completed by the end of 2020, and will be used to inform potential remediation and management measures.

Detailed Site Investigation and Human Health Risk Assessment reports for the Jervis Bay area have been published on the Defence PFAS website and the findings have been shared with the community.

These reports found that PFAS is primarily moving off defence land through groundwater and surface water into Jervis Bay Territory creeks including Mary Creek, Summercloud Creek, Captains Lagoon and Flat Rock Creek.

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A defence spokesperson said potential PFAS exposure risks were largely restricted to swimming in, drinking water from or eating seafood from these waterways, which are all subject to current precautionary advice.

"No detectable PFAS has been found in treated Jervis Bay Territory drinking water, or in any home-grown produce collected in Jervis Bay Territory (fruit, vegetables or eggs)," the spokesperson said.

Further information on precautionary advice is available on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website: www.regional.gov.au/territories/jervis_bay/community/bulletins/bulletins-2018/bulletin-2018-09.aspx.

An interim Ecological Risk Assessment was published in July 2019, and defence is currently finalising the Ecological Risk Assessment and the draft Supplementary Detailed Site Investigation.

These are the final reports in the investigation.

"Defence is also using the findings of the investigation to develop a PFAS Management Area Plan describing the actions it will undertake to manage and reduce the risks of PFAS exposure in the Jervis Bay Territory," the spokesperson said.

"All investigation reports are provided to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council (WBACC) for comment prior to finalisation.

"Defence has recently been engaging with the WBACC board, and has now updated these documents in consultation with WBACC."

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Defence anticipates finalising these reports this year which will be followed by a community update.

Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra recently announced it is undertaking a study to understand the human health effects of PFAS and has called for people in the Shoalhaven and surrounding areas to have a free blood test and complete a survey to help better understand the health effects of PFAS contamination.

The results will be compared with results from Oakey, Katherine and Williamtown, where there is known PFAS contamination.