Remote, real-time monitoring of air, noise and water quality is being trialled by the Department of Environment and Science’s Environmental Services and Regulation Division.
Head of the Division, Rob Lawrence said monitoring equipment had been installed at locations near sites regulated by the Department.
“These monitors are able to feed real-time data 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week back to compliance officers via a new, easy-to-read dashboard,” Mr Lawrence said.
“The dashboard will help officers get an idea of what’s happening at key locations and make quick, informed decisions about what action might need to be taken.”
He said six monitors had been deployed so far.
“The deployed monitors include several air and noise monitors in South East Queensland that are helping monitor compliance with environmental standards around waste transfer and processing facilities and quarries,” Mr Lawrence said.
He said the Department was already seeing benefits from the trial.
“Real-time monitoring can serve as an early-warning system, giving our compliance officers a head start on taking swift action to prevent environmental harm,” Mr Lawrence said.
“It has also proven an important tool during the COVID-19 pandemic and will no doubt play a wider role in monitoring environmental issues whilst restrictions remain in place — as well as during other times when it may not be safe for our staff to undertake site visits.”
He said the real time monitoring trial complemented a range of other high-tech tools supporting compliance activities such as drones and remote sensing.
