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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 3169 asked in the Legislative Council on 9 September 2020 by Hon Tim Clifford

Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

(1) When was the Perth Air Quality Management Plan (2000) last updated:
(a) please table a copy of the updated plan?
(2) Is the National Environment Protection (Air Toxic) Measure being used to continuously monitor air toxins in Western Australia?
(3) If yes to (2), where can this data be found?
(4) Has the ambient air quality National Environment Protection (Air Toxic) Measure been implemented across the whole State, or just in the metropolitan area?
(5) I note that the Caversham Air Quality Index data during May and June this year showed as distinctly unhealthy and unacceptably high, does the Minister have any insight to what this could be attributed to?
(6) Is the McGowan Government considering installing further air quality monitoring stations?
(7) If yes to (6), where?

Answered on 13 October 2020

(1) The Perth Air Quality Management Plan has not been updated since being published in December, 2000. However, it is currently being updated by the Air Quality Coordinating Committee.

(a) Not applicable.

(2) – (4) Air toxics measurement studies are conducted periodically in Western Australia. No continuous monitors are established or required under the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure.

In accordance with the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (AAQ NEPM), the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) operates 16 air quality monitoring stations across Western Australia for continuous monitoring of a range of pollutants and reports the results annually.

(5) DWER has advised that three exceedances of the AAQ NEPM standard for particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less (PM10; averaged over 24 hours) and eight exceedances of the AAQ NEPM standard for particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less (PM2.5; averaged over 24 hours) were recorded at Caversham during May and June 2020.  These exceedances have been attributed to private and local burn-offs around the metropolitan region and prescribed burns conducted in the south west.

(6) Three additional monitoring stations have been installed since the McGowan Government was elected: Armadale (2020), Mandurah (2019) and Kalgoorlie (2017). These bring the total number of AAQ NEPM air quality monitoring stations to 16, comprising 10 metropolitan sites and six regional sites. There are no plans at this stage for additional monitoring stations.

(7) Not applicable.