Air Pollution Summit

NATIONAL AIR POLLUTION SUMMIT

MELBOURNE, 1-3 AUGUST 2014

STATEMENT BY PARTICIPANTS

Statement by air pollution experts, civil society organisations and air pollution- affected

communities on the need for new air pollution laws.

The problem

Air pollution causes the death of over 3000 Australians each year.1 The serious health consequences

from exposure to the different sources of air pollution are now well established. There is consensus

that there is no ‘safe’ level of exposure for many pollutants, and that there are harmful effects from

exposure at levels well below the current air quality standards.2

In many Australian communities, measured air pollution levels frequently exceed the current national

standards without meaningful consequences for polluters. Whilst we know that the current standards

are frequently exceeded, the lack of adequate monitoring in many locations means that we often don’t

know by how much or how often many communities are exposed to the very serious health risks from

air pollution. Without changes in the monitoring and enforcement of standards for current polluters

and improved assessment and licensing of proposed new developments many communities will

continue to be put at risk.

The Australian Medical Association has said that, “Current air quality standards in Australia lag behind

international standards and have failed to keep pace with scientific evidence.”3 Last year a Senate

Committee inquiry concluded air quality is a significant problem in many parts of Australia and

recommended several new policies and programs.4

Political delay and inaction

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has recognised that current air quality laws are

deficient and in 2011 committed to developing and adopting a National Plan for Clean Air by the

end of 2014. Despite COAG working on this reform since 2011, the Commonwealth

Environment Minister recently announced that development of the Plan would be delayed for

another two years, until July 2016.5 This is a cause of significant concern to the medical

profession and to the community. Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments are not

treating air pollution with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.

This delay reflects a broader pattern of inaction on air pollution by State and Commonwealth

Governments, including a failure to implement the recommendations of the 2011 Ambient Air Quality

National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) review,6 and the 2013 Senate Inquiry into Impacts

on Health of Air Quality in Australia.7

What is needed?

The current regulatory system for air pollution is failing to protect Australian communities from the

harmful effects of air pollution. Sixteen years after Australia adopted our first national air quality

standards, the continuing lack of a compliance standard for PM2.5 places Australia far behind world’s

best practice in air quality regulation. The current arrangements for coordinated action by the States

and Territories have many fundamental problems and have failed to ensure a strong and consistent

national approach. Implementing the recommendations of the NEPM review and the 2013 Senate

Committee would go some way towards improving regulation of air quality in Australia. However a

more significant reappraisal of Australia's approach to air pollution regulation is needed.

Ø The State, Territory and Federal Governments should implement the NEPM

review recommendations immediately.

Ø A compliance standard for PM2.5 (fine particles) should be adopted immediately.

Ø The Commonwealth Government should legislate a National Air Pollution Prevention Act that

is binding on all States and Territories, and establish a National Air Pollution Regulator to

ensure that air pollution is effectively regulated. The National Regulator should have a

responsibility to implement standards that prioritise the protection of human health and reduce

the exposure of Australian communities to hazardous air pollutants.

2023

1 Begg, Vos, Barker, Stevenson, Stanley & Lopez, The burden of disease and injury in Australia

2003, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra (2007), p234,

HYPERLINK "http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/"<http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467990>.

2 Doctors for the Environment Australia, Submission to Senate Community Affairs References

Committee, Parliament of Australia, Impacts on Health of Air Quality in Australia, 2013, pp5,8;

World Health Organization, Health Aspects of Air Pollution with Particulate Matter, Ozone and

Nitrogen Dioxide, Report on WHO Working Group (2003) pp5-6.

3 Australian Medical Association, submission to Senate Community Affairs References

Committee, Parliament of Australia, Impacts on health of air quality in Australia, 2013, p2.

4 Senate Community Affairs References Committee, Parliament of Australia, Impacts on Health of Air

Quality in Australia, 2013, p3.

5 The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Inaugral Alan Hunt Oration, Speech to the Urban Development

Institute of Australia 7 March 2014

HYPERLINK "http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/hunt/2014/sp20140307.html"<http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/hunt/2014/sp20140307.html>.

6 National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) 2011, National Environment Protection (Ambient

Air) Measure Review Report HYPERLINK "http://www.scew.gov.au/resource/national-environment-protection-ambient-air-"<http://www.scew.gov.au/resource/national-environment-protection-

ambient-air- quality-measure-review-review-report>.

7 Senate Community Affairs References Committee, Parliament of Australia, Impacts on Health of

Air Quality in Australia, 2013.

ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

Environmental Justice Australia

Doctors for the Environment Australia

Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales