City of Sydney Council: Mayor calls for air quality monitoring station

A campaign to investigate poor air quality near congested roads has been championed by a Sydney Council.

City of Sydney Council want air pollution monitoring in the CBD.

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A campaign to investigate poor air quality near congested roads is being championed by City of Sydney Council.

During her trip to London for the C40 Women4Climate Conference, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said staff from governments across the globe were “shocked our State Government was building the world’s largest private tolled motorway in the city area and next to people’s homes, schools and regional parks”.

City pollution is not currently measured. Photo: Melanie Russell

Cr Moore called for the installation of air quality monitoring system on several busy roads across Sydney.

“It is obvious that this destructive project will dramatically increase air pollution in Sydney,” Cr Moore said.

Cr Moore visited the Sir John Cass Foundation School during her trip to London, where they house a 24-hour air quality monitoring station on the school’s playground.

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore meets Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the London City Hall. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

They also have ‘diffusion tubes’ located in some classrooms, the gym and externally around the school and monitoring station.

Following testing at the school, air pollution dropped to below the legal limit for the first time since monitoring started.

“It’s clear from what I learnt in London that our State Government, who has responsibility for air pollution in NSW, is failing to keep up with the impressive work being undertaken by other cities, especially London, to protect the health of their communities,” Cr Moore said.

“I believe our staff should investigate the installation of an air quality monitoring stations near congested roads in our area as soon as possible so that we can monitor the data before WestConnex starts operating and then compare that to the data we get when it is opened.”

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore meets Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the London City Hall. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

Cr Moore called on the chief executive to investigate the installation of air quality monitoring stations near congested roads as soon as possible.

Councillor Kerryn Phelps said the City should implement air quality testing as a matter of urgency.

“It shocks many people when I tell them there isn’t a single air quality monitoring station in the City of Sydney,” she said.

“If somebody wants to know what their air quality is in the City of Sydney, that they have no way of finding out.

“We do need to see the installation, the cost of these air quality monitors have come down significantly and is something we should move on as a matter of urgency.”