Due to significant delays in receiving development approvals and subdivision certificates for the remaining undeveloped areas at Akuna Vista, Nirimba Fields, developer, Defence Housing Australia (DHA) will commence legal proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court against Blacktown City Council. DHA is not seeking to reopen or challenge approvals relating to completed stages of the development.

Delays have impacted the delivery of new housing and essential infrastructure, including community facilities.

These delays follow years of DHA voluntarily providing council with independent evidence and results from development site testing which consistently supports site suitability for its intended residential and recreational use. PFAS was identified at the development site in 2017 after DHA acquired the site in 2015, with remediation activities completed prior to development to being bring the soil within acceptable levels for residential use. This work was independently and repeatedly verified by experts, including those accredited by the state’s primary environmental regulator for land contamination, the NSW Environment Protection Authority.  

Testing and independent site audits are a normal and necessary part of housing development and planning approval processes. DHA has voluntarily undertaken testing beyond minimum regulatory requirements at council’s request and continues to assess environmental information, with no evidence of a risk to human health.  This evidence is outlined in the below site audit statements.  DHA is making this information publicly available so that the community can understand how DHA has arrived at this point whereby new approvals and certificates are being withheld, and that we remain committed to delivering the remaining lots and associated infrastructure at Akuna Vista.

Suitable for residential living.

The Akuna Vista, Nirimba Fields site remains suitable for residential use. Residents can continue to live in, use, and enjoy their homes and surrounding areas with confidence.
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The project site has undergone extensive environmental investigations, including soil, groundwater and surface water testing, together with independent environmental reviews and accredited site audit processes. These assessments support the suitability of the land for residential and recreational use.

Understanding PFAS  

At Nirimba Fields, presence of PFAS is primarily linked to historic defence-related activities that have since been remediated, as well as ongoing inflows of surface water and groundwater from upstream locations. Current levels are considered low and are being managed through an established monitoring and risk management framework.  

PFAS are a group of chemicals that are commonly found at various levels in many environments across Australia and are routinely assessed as part of modern environmental investigations. PFAS have historically been used in a range of everyday household and consumer products, as well as in some industrial applications. These including some non-stick cookware, food packaging, water- and stain-resistant fabrics, furniture, cosmetics and specialised firefighting foams.