The Upper Hunter region has experienced a decline in air quality this year. Health professionals, such as Dr Bob Vickers, are concerned about the impacts of this.
Camberwell is one example, a village that has exceeded the national air quality standards for course particle pollution 52 times already this year. This is already more than the 44 recorded last year, and the total of 126 for years 2011 through to 2017.
Bob Vickers says there's been an increase in chronic and acute diseases associated with worsening air quality.
"Certainly, what everyone seems to be aware of is the link between air pollution and lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, hay-fever, and sinus symptoms - but we're actually getting more and more evidence that fine particle pollution can lead to really long-term damage with regards to stroke, heart disease, dementia, pregnancy issues, diabetes," he said.
Bob Vickers said he's especially worried for drought-stricken mining towns like Camberwell, which is surround by a total of eight mines.
"The data coming from our monitoring networks for places like Camberwell is really worrying. For example, when we had the dust storm last week. Everyone assumed there was nothing we could do, it was just a weather-related event, and the whole state really did suffer - but, looking at the Upper Hunter monitoring system, Camberwell had an average fine particle pollution reading of 39, before the storm even hit," he explained.
The national standard dictates that the number should never exceed 25 within a 24 hour period, so it's clear Camberwell's air quality isn't what it should be, according to this measure.
Concerned locals have called on the Government to perform a health risk assessment of Camberwell and surrounding Upper Hunter communities facing similar air quality problems.
However, their request was met by NSW Minerals Council Chief Executive, Stephen Galilee, who suggested worried residents relocate. He offered advice on the rules in place for when problems like this arise, saying affected residents have the right to ask a nearby mine to purchase their property and move somewhere else.
"It's really frustrating to see the Minerals Council CEO saying the solution is residents having to move, I think that's really unfair," Bob Vickers concluded.
Image credit: The Singleton Argus
