A family is close to signing a deal for the New South Wales Government to buy back a north-west Sydney home contaminated by radiation, the family's lawyer says.
Peter and Michelle Vassiliou bought the waterfront property in Nelson Parade at Hunters Hill from the Government in 2001 without knowing it had been contaminated by uranium processing carried out on the site a century ago.
The Government had repeatedly said the site was not dangerous but independent testing last year showed some soil samples were 350 times more radioactive than what is considered safe.
The Vassilious' lawyer, Nicholas Brunton, says an agreement with New South Wales Health to buy the house should be finalised by the end of the week.
Liberal MP Michael Richardson, who has been campaigning to clean up the area, says the Vassiilou family had a very strong case and there is unlikely to be a flood of similar claims .
"They had no reason to believe there was a radioactive problem with the area," he said.
"They bought the house in good faith only a few years ago and they were lumbered with the most enormous problem.
"Most people could not carry a loss of $3 million and survive financially."
An Upper House inquiry recommended radiation tests on all properties in Nelson Parade. The Government is due to deliver its response by the end of the month.
Mr Richardson says the Government must now clean up the former uranium smelter site.
He says the Government should also test surrounding houses because radioactive material could have been carried from Nelson Parade.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/05/2508075.htm
