Brooklyn Recycling Group (BRG) has announced a new major dust monitoring program that is soon to be rolled out at the Brooklyn industrial precinct to better record dust levels data in real time.
The program, which falls under the BRG’s Better Environment Plan, was announced at a Brooklyn Community Representative Group community forum on July 23.
Designed by independent experts, the technology measures PM2.5 and PM10 particles, recording the data for historical analysis.
BRG community liaison officer Lisa Field said the data will be used to track the effectiveness and progress of dust intervention methods.
She said the program will also assist with the investigation of community complaints made at particular times and locations.
“It’s to develop and implement a shared incident and dust monitoring response. Multiple stakeholders can see that [information] in real time and analyse that,” Ms Field said.
“It’s a good tool to see how things are tracking with the other interventions…you can look back, identify and assess impact.”
Ms Field said while the research and the modelling of the program was complete there were still a few more steps to be taken before the program was implemented.
Synergetics Consulting Engineers representative Dave Collins spoke at the meeting and said the BRG’s contribution to dust within a 3km radius of the site was sitting at approximately eight per cent.
Mr Collins also spoke about the importance of vegetation buffers in reducing dust impacts.
Brooklyn resident Bert Boere said the dust monitoring program was impressive, and that dust levels had reduced in the area.
“Certainly the dust amount and the odour occurrences have come down. It’s a lot better than it was in the past,” said Mr Boere.
But he acknowledged the situation was still not ideal.
Mr Boere acknowledged that while it’s a historical issue, he feels the industrial precinct should never have been built near a residential area.
“[The industrial precinct] is just something that shouldn’t be there that’s anywhere upwind of a residential area. In NSW, they don’t do any of this near residential areas. They take it somewhere remote,” he said.
