RAAF Base Tindal PFAS Investigation and Management Program

Client

Coffey

Department of Defence

Service

Community and stakeholder engagement

Strategy implementation and support

Management of community hotlines

True North Strategic Communication conducted the community consultation for the Department of Defence’s response to PFAS contamination in the Northern Territory. Working with Coffey during the RAAF Base Tindal and RAAF Base Darwin PFAS investigations, we worked to provide a strategic communication and engagement solution to a complex and highly visible contamination problem.

Residents living near RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory town of Katherine have been heavily impacted by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emanating from the Base. With no town water connection and Katherine’s main source of drinking water contaminated, True North facilitated interactions between the community and Defence or Coffey and provided plain English information to the community about the investigation process. We also reported on community sentiment, media reporting, and PFAS testing and results.

We have been the main point of contact for the Katherine community and this has enabled us to develop relationships with heavily impacted stakeholders and provide best practice advice on how to effectively communicate with impacted residents and the wider community.

Challenges

Our key challenge has been to communicate highly technical and changing information to distressed stakeholders, over a long period of time.

The program included setting up a site dedicated information line email and phone number, running numerous community engagement events to coincide with key investigation milestones, developing communication materials and providing strategic advice and guidance to Defence. True North was instrumental in developing community shopfront events (and pop-up stalls) which have now been adapted and applied at other PFAS investigation sites around Australia.

Our solution

This project allowed True North to employ and train a dedicated Katherine community engagement resource, as well as two other Darwin based resources. Coffey and the Department of Defence have been long term clients of True North and this project allowed us to build on that relationship over the last two years, as well as win other work with the Department of Defence on major Defence projects.

We provide and implement best practice community and stakeholder engagement advice to our clients about this ongoing contamination issue and solutions that will still fit within Defence processes and protocols. For example, the Katherine community required more face-to-face engagement with representatives.

True North workshopped the needs of the community and the needs of Defence and came up with the community shopfront idea that appeased by parties. This simple, yet effective, idea increased community engagement and allowed True North to disseminate current and factually correct information.

What our client said

“True North Communications has been a valuable part of our project team delivering the PFAS investigation for RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal. True North identified and engaged local resources for the project who were well connected in the communities and improved the reach of our community engagement activities. True North also supported preparation of well-structured communication collateral and coordinated graphics, printing and advertising to optimise the positive impact of the communications. Elena, Hollie and team have been a pleasure to work with and will continue to receive our recommendations in the industry.”

- Dr Sarah Richards, Senior Principal Geoenvironmental Engineer

Lead Consultant - PFAS Investigation, RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal

Outcomes

• to date, True North has received and responded to more than 800 incoming queries and collated a database of more than 670 stakeholders
• a True North staff member located in Katherine was dedicated to the project to provide local knowledge and insights, facilitate face-to-face meetings and create positive and constructive relationships within the community.