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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 719 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 May 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Question Directed to the: Minister for Emergency Services representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 41 Session: 1


Question

(1) When was the current Perth Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) introduced?
(2) Was this AQMP reviewed in 2007?
(3) Has the Perth AQMP been updated in line with recommendations in the 2007 review:
(a) if yes to (3), when; and
(b) if no to (3), why not?
(4) Does the Government plan to extend the Perth AQMP to the Peel Region in the near future:
(a) if yes to (4), when; and
(b) if no to (4), why not?
(5) Is the Government aware that there are serious air quality issues in the Collie, Bunbury, Busselton airshed associated with elevated levels of fine particles in the air?
(6) In regard to (5), is the Government planning to develop an air quality management plan for the Bunbury, Collie, Busselton airshed:
(a) if yes to (6), when; and
(b) if no to (6), why not?
(7) Does the Government intend to extend the application of the National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure to regional centres such as Bunbury and Port Hedland that have emerging air quality problems?

Answered on 15 June 2022

(1) The Perth Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) was released in December 2000 as a whole-of-Government planning and management strategy with a 30-year horizon.

(2) Yes.

(3) (a)-(b) All of the recommendations of the 2007 review that were supported by the then Government have been implemented.

(4) (a)-(b) The AQCC is currently redrafting the AQMP to include the Peel region for the Government’s consideration. 

(5) The Government has monitored fine airborne particles (less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter; PM2.5) in Bunbury and Busselton for more than 15 years; since October 2021 fine particles have also been measured in Collie.  Airborne particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter (PM10, which includes PM2.5) has been monitored in Collie for more than 14 years. The 2020 Western Australian air monitoring report, published on the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s website, shows there were 11 days during 2020 when PM2.5 concentrations in Bunbury exceeded the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure 24-hour standard. 

Of these 11 exceedances, seven were due to smoke from prescribed fire hazard reduction burns, two to smoke from wood-fired domestic heaters, one to smoke from both a bushfire and prescribed fire hazard reduction burns, and one to smoke from a local burn.  At Busselton, there were five days during 2020 when PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure 24-hour standard, all due to smoke from prescribed fire hazard reduction burns. At Collie, there were five days during 2020 when PM10 concentrations exceeded the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure 24-hour standard, all due to smoke from prescribed fire hazard reduction burns.

(6) (a)-(b) The Government does not consider that air quality management plans for the Bunbury, Busselton and Collie airsheds are necessary at this time.

(7) The National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure applies throughout Western Australia.  On 15 October 2018, the Government endorsed recommendations of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce including that an ambient air quality guideline for 24-hour PM10 of 70 micrograms per cubic metre continues to apply to residential areas of Port Hedland.