Air quality monitor for Lake Macquarie

Source: Newcastle Herald | By: Matt Carr | Posted: April 29, 2020

LAKE Macquarie will receive independent air quality monitoring after more than a decade of community campaigning, state MP Greg Piper has revealed.

Mr Piper said NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean advised on Monday that the government would pay for a new monitoring station. The Hunter MP described it as a "significant win".

"We've been asking consecutive state governments for this for more than a decade," he said. "Air pollution is a real issue in Lake Macquarie where residents have at times had to contend with dust from coal-fired power station emissions, dust from coal haulage and pollution from other industry sources.

"The new station would join 20 industry monitors in the area, but would fill a gap in ambient air quality sites operated by the NSW Environment Protection Authority between Wallsend and Wyong.

"I'm not criticising those industry monitors, but it's understandable that people living in this area have genuine concerns about the emissions coming from the power stations and other industries and they deserve to have some comfort in knowing it's being properly monitored and managed," Mr Piper said.

"Data collected from the industry monitors in addition to this independent monitor will give us the best possible picture on ocal air quality."

Discussions are under way between the minister and LakeMacquarieCityCouncil for a site,which Mr Pipers aid would be best in the lake's southwest near Morisset.

Construction is expected to take about 14 weeks once a site and contractor are decided.

The Newcastle Herald reported in 2014 that a Lake Macquarie council report estimated premature deaths from air pollution in the area cost up to $205 million a year.