The chair of the Turnbull government’s expert health panel on toxic firefighting chemicals has told residents he was “dragged” into doing the job and someone “better qualified” should have steered its investigation.

The revelations come as a public hearing is held in Williamtown on Tuesday – one of the country’s worst polluted areas – as part of a senate inquiry into the federal government’s handling of the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl [PFAS] contamination.

Professor Nicholas Buckley speaking at the meeting in Katherine. Credit:The Katherine Times

In its submission to the inquiry, the Coalition against PFAS accused Professor Nick Buckley, from the University of Sydney, of making the remarks when he was flown to the Northern Territory to speak at a public meeting in June.

When approached by the Herald last week and asked whether he had made the comments, Professor Buckley evaded the question.