Investigation and remediation of PFAS contaminated land in Australia has paved the way internationally, whereas other aspects of PFAS response in Australia are now lagging. The reasons for this are complex, combining social, regulatory and technical drivers and contraints. In some cases, response has been driven by key individuals, rather than official processes, and community outrage has played a critical part in the pace of response. This talk briefly discusses some examples that help to explain the different responses to PFAS in Australia versus other parts of the world.