PFAS is the headline | Environmental risk is the bigger story
NSW Government & Parliament responses & Lotsearch Potential PFAS Contamination Research
Howard Waldron, Co-Founder & CEO with supporting PFAS research
PFAS, Contamination & Australia's Environmental Future
Industry leaders unite to explore the future of environmental risk in Australia
Recently, Lotsearch hosted an executive roundtable bringing together industry experts to discuss one of Australia's most significant emerging environmental challenges: PFAS contamination.
Our thanks go to our industry experts who together represented the environmental, legal and scientific landscapes:
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Ross McFarland, Chief Environmental Scientist & Site Auditor, AECOM
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Jerome Boutelet, Councillor, Bayside Council & Head of Government Relations, InfoTrack
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Professor Michael Manefield, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW
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Elizabeth Wild, Legal Practitioner
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Alongside our Lotsearch experts:
It was a powerful and thought-provoking conversation focused on evaluating the recommendations made following Federal and NSW Parliamentary Inquiries into PFAS contamination.
While PFAS was the catalyst for the discussion, the conversation quickly expanded into a broader examination of environmental risk, contaminated land management, data accessibility and disclosure.
We also identified ways in which government and industry can further collaborate to solve contamination issues like PFAS, as well as create a more environmentally aware Australia, which is our vision here at Lotsearch
The insights and themes emerging from the Roundtable will be developed into an industry whitepaper designed to continue the national conversation and support more informed environmental decision-making across Australia.
The question is no longer whether PFAS matters, but how Australia responds.
PFAS has become one of Australia's most talked-about environmental issues.
From growing public concern and increased regulatory scrutiny to the recent multi-billion-dollar legal action against 3M, PFAS has firmly entered the national spotlight.
But one question remains and this came out strongly in the Roundtable:
Are we having the right conversation?
The Roundtable explored not only the scale of the PFAS challenge, but how governments, industry, academia, and communities can respond in a way that is practical, proportionate and evidence based.
As governments, regulators and industry invest billions of dollars into PFAS management, the focus must increasingly shift from awareness to action, ensuring decisions are supported by better contamination data, greater transparency and more effective disclosure.
PFAS is part of a bigger story
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the discussion was that Australia's contamination challenge extends far beyond a single contaminant.
PFAS may be capturing headlines today, but it has also exposed broader questions around:
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Environmental disclosure
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Contaminated land management
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Emerging contaminants
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Data accessibility
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Property risk transparency
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Environmental due diligence
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Long-term environmental stewardship
As one participant described it, PFAS may simply be the 'tip of the iceberg'.
The challenge for Australia is not only understanding PFAS but improving how environmental risks are identified, communicated and managed more broadly.
From reaction to prevention
Historically, much of Australia's environmental response has focused on managing contamination after it has occurred.
The recent PFAS litigation serves as a reminder of the significant financial, environmental and social costs that can arise when risks are identified too late.
The Roundtable challenged industry to think differently.
Rather than focusing solely on remediation and historical liabilities, the discussion explored how Australia can become more proactive by identifying risks earlier and amongst other things, strengthening disclosure frameworks.
Lotsearch's role
At Lotsearch, we believe industry needs more than commentary, it needs trusted information, practical insights and balanced discussion, which is why we're leading on creating space for this critical conversation. We remain committed to helping industry move beyond awareness and toward action to help Australia be more environmentally aware.
Leading the national conversation
This Roundtable is only the beginning.
The whitepaper will form part of a broader initiative focused on advancing discussions around:
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PFAS and emerging contaminants
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Environmental disclosure reform
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Property risk transparency
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Contaminated land management
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Environmental due diligence
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Data accessibility and contamination intelligence
Coming Soon: PFAS in Practice, Industry Roundtable Whitepaper: turning policy into action for Australia's contaminated sites.
If you would like to stay across the findings and receive the PFAS Roundtable Whitepaper when released, we'd love to hear from you.
Register your interest or contact our team at marketing@lotsearch.com.au
Together, we can help create a more environmentally aware Australia.