Home

Collie rejects bad air claim

Kate FieldingSouth Western Times
“The Dirty Truth” report claimed Collie’s air pollution was the fifth worst in Australia.
Camera Icon“The Dirty Truth” report claimed Collie’s air pollution was the fifth worst in Australia. Credit: South Western Times

Collie shire president Sarah Stanley has slammed Australian Conservation Foundation claims that the town’s air pollution is the fifth worst in the country.

The foundation released its report labelled “The Dirty Truth” this month when it claimed Collie was in the top five postcodes for National Pollutant Inventory emissions with the Muja Power Station responsible for more than 66 per cent of emissions.

But Cr Stanley has hit back saying the allegation is “nonsense” and at odds with results obtained during testing by the Department of Environmental Regulation.

“(The department) in 2016, found air quality in Collie was considered good on most days and that when it was not, it was attributed to factors such as bushfires and controlled burns and not because of coal mining or power generation,” Cr Stanley said.

She said the claims were based on selective data taken out of context to suit the author’s agenda.

Air quality is monitored at a State level by the department and looks at data from a number of regional and metropolitan locations in accordance with the National Environment Protection Measures.

The department reported that Collie in 2015 experienced 10 days on which measures were exceeded – four of which were caused by bushfires and the remaining six from prescribed burns.

However, Cr Stanley said “The Dirty Truth” report was based on the National Pollutant Inventory, which collates information supplied by only those industrial facilities that are of sufficient size to meet its reporting criteria.

Collie GP Dr Peter Wutchak said there was little evidence to support the foundation’s claims of air pollution adversely effecting the health of the town’s residents.

“As a clinician on the ground, I certainly do not think our rates of flu or other respiratory disease are significantly different to other areas in the South West,” Dr Wutchak said.

Cr Stanley said it was no secret the council’s most urgent strategic priority was the diversification of its economy.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails