Opening of air monitoring stations at Busselton and Bunbury

July 2, 1997

Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the opening of new air monitoring stations at Busselton and Bunbury would provide a clearer picture of regional air quality.

Mrs Edwardes said the new Department of Environmental Protection stations would provide air quality information about one of the State's fastest-growing regions, adding to our understanding of air quality issues over the whole of the South-West.

"We have made air quality one of our highest priorities and have committed more than $2.5 million toward development and implementation of a management plan over the next four years," she said.

"Extending the air monitoring network is part of that commitment, and it will provide us with essential data over a much wider area than just the metropolitan area."

Busselton and Bunbury already experience problems with haze, caused by smoke from domestic wood burning heaters, uncontrolled burning on rural lots, and controlled hazard reduction burns.

"The data from the new stations will give us a better profile of the extent of the problem, so we can begin informing people in the area on how they can reduce haze," Mrs Edwardes said.

"In addition, the scientific data will be valuable to CALM in planning their controlled burn program."

The 12m x 12m monitoring stations contain sensitive equipment which can measure visibility by calculating the amount of particles in the air.

The two new stations join other air monitoring stations throughout the metropolitan area which are linked to the DEP offices in Perth. DEP staff can access data collected by the stations from their desktop computers, providing an instant 'snapshot' of Perth and regional air quality at any time.

This data is summarised and published in quarterly air quality reports, available to the public from the department's library in Perth.

Media contact: Diana Russell Coote 018 906 948 or pager 485 7857