Figures released this week by the Federal Government show smog levels have doubled over the past year in the South-west Growth Centre, where the Iemma Government plans to locate another 100,000 homes by 2031, Liberal MP Michael Richardson revealed today. 

“During 2006–2007, the number of times the four-hour ozone level was exceeded in Bringelly and Liverpool doubled, while the one-hour ozone level wasn’t met in Bringelly, Liverpool and Macarthur almost twice as many times,” Mr. Richardson said.

“This is a horror story for the 300,000 people the Iemma Government wants to shoehorn into this area

“Nineteen years ago the Greiner Government abandoned plans for a mini-city of 200,000 people at Bringelly precisely because of air pollution concerns.

“The Iemma Government is courting disaster if it goes ahead with its sub-regional strategy without fixing the air pollution problems first.”

The Annual Report of the National Environment Protection Council reveals that only two of Sydney’s eight NEPM stations met the goal for ozone in 2006.

Overall there were 12 distinct days when the one-hour ozone standard was exceeded, and 13 distinct days above the four-hour standard. (Some hot summer days recorded more than one incident).

“Things would have looked even worse for the Government if it hadn’t removed air quality monitoring stations from the Sydney CBD, Woolooware and Westmead in 2004,” Mr Richardson said.

“Not only is Sydney’s air quality getting worse, so is the Government’s monitoring of it.

“It’s very convenient for the Government to knock out monitoring stations, as that makes the overall pollution figures look better.

“But no amount of fudging can conceal the fact that Sydney has the worst air pollution in Australia and the people of western Sydney are the worst affected.”

Mr Richardson said the increase in air pollution was largely due to the State Labor Government’s mismanagement of public transport.

“Ozone is a primary constituent of smog. Both ozone and smog are created by sunlight acting on motor vehicle exhaust emissions,” Mr Richardson said.

“Sydney’s traffic congestion is a major cause of the problem, as motor vehicles emit more exhaust fumes at low speeds and idle than at higher speeds.”

Mr Richardson said the Government had failed to meet national targets for ozone and particulate matter over a number of years.

“The Government’s Action for Air plan is all hot air – it has no practical solutions to Sydney’s smog problems,” he said.

“In 2006 the NEPM standards were included as targets in the NSW State Plan and the Government announced the purchase of 1449 new buses that would either be required to meet Euro5 emissions standards or be powered by compressed natural gas.

“Those buses are still sitting in parking lots while the Government works out how to get their weight down.”

Mr Richardson said the NEPC report concluded that ‘meeting the Ambient Air Quality NEPM standards for ozone by 2008 will be a significant challenge, given pressures from a growing population, urban expansion and the associated increase in motor vehicle use.’

“This is one challenge the Government needs to meet or there will be severe health consequences,” he said.