WILLIAMTOWN FISHERMAN NOW ELIGIBLE FOR CONTAMINATION COMPENSATION

Commercial fisherman affected by a fishing ban in Port Stephens could now be eligible for up to $25,000, in a federal government assistance program, announced today.

Under the scheme, individuals and businesses may be eligible for payments, if they’ve experienced financial hardship in the Williamtown RAAF Base chemical spill.

Meantime $20,000 is available to businesses, in five installments, to reimburse costs.

An extended fishing ban on waterways in Williamtown was announced last month, meaning commercial fisherman will have to wait until June next year to get back to work.

Newcastle Prawners are currently not affected by the fishing ban, but last week opted to hold off the start of the season for results of testing by the Department of Primary Industries, to ensure the product isn’t affected by contamination.

News of the spill broke on September 3 and the investigation into the spread of potentially dangerous firefighting chemicals is ongoing.