Mornington Peninsula residents can now access live air quality information, with EPA Victoria establishing permanent air monitoring in Hastings.
The first of its kind on the Peninsula, real-time air quality information from the equipment is now publicly available on EPA AirWatch: epa.vic.gov.au/epaairwatch.
The equipment measures particles found in dust and smoke, which can impact our health.
Air pollution can move deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. This can contribute to heart or lung problems, cancer and even premature death.
Pollution can come from things like traffic, wood heaters, industrial sites, agricultural burns, dusty weather, planned burns or bushfires.
Installed in September 2024, the equipment is on the south side of Hastings, on Frankston-Flinders Road.
The location is close to industrial and residential zones in Hasting and is ideally placed to provide information for residents around the Mornington Peninsula, French Island, Phillip Island, East Gippsland, and south-eastern Melbourne.
EPA now has 94 air quality monitoring sites around Victoria, plus a fleet of mobile monitoring stations to use in emergencies.
EPA's role is to protect Victoria's community and environment from pollution and waste. The authority uses air quality data to monitor air quality across the state, provide health advice to the community, and for potential regulatory decisions enforcing the law in the region.
Victorian communities, industries and businesses have a legal obligation under the General Environmental Duty to prevent harm from their air emissions.
The General Environmental Duty requires anyone emitting air pollution to understand the risks, implement controls and regularly review performance of those controls.
Quotes attributable to acting Chief Environmental Scientist, Dr Jen Martin:
"I encourage residents to crack onto EPA AirWatch and learn about air quality in their area."
"Day to day and in emergencies, it can be really helpful to better understand the environment around us and how pollution can affect it."
"We've heard from the local community that they're concerned about air quality, and we're using data and evidence to guide our work to protect human health and the environment."
