Tara Murray
Western suburbs advocate Colleen Hartland is calling for an independent statewide air monitoring system to be created to make air quality data more accessible for the community.
The former Greens upper house MP made the call during a presentation to a parliamentary inquiry into air quality in Victoria.
Ms Hartland spoke on behalf of the Anti-Toxic Waste Alliance, of which she is president. The group is made up of representatives from 39 community groups and organisations from across Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs.
The alliance was established in April, 2019, in response to three toxic chemical and waste fires.
Speaking to Star Weekly, Ms Hartland pointed to the Latrobe Valley Air Monitoring Network in the Latrobe Valley as an example of how a statewide air monitoring system could work.
“It’s an air quality system that isn’t managed by the EPA [Environment Protection Authority], “ she said.
“It’s incredibly accessible and easy to understand and it’s the type of model we are looking at.
“The results are accessible to residents and it gives both residents and the EPA a tool so they know what is happening.”
Ms Hartland also highlighted the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, which has set up its own air quality monitoring in Yarraville, and found repeated breaches of pollution areas.
In a written submission, the alliance called for the costs of reducing emissions and protecting the community to be borne by industry, measures to project schools, community education programs on the risks of exposure to air pollution and the actions people can take to limit their own emissions.
Ms Hartland said the alliance was hoping the new EPA laws which came into effect this month would also help.
Among the other written submissions were residents who have dealt with pollution from Barro’s Kealba Landfill and Sunshine North’s AkzoNobel.
