The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has launched a pilot program to monitor and report on air quality across regional Victoria.
Chief Executive of EPA, Lee Miezis said the Regional Sensor Pilot Project would expand EPA’s existing sensor network to an additional 49 regional towns to monitor and publicly report on the levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air.
“We saw during the bushfires last year just how much the community wanted information to help protect their health, particularly from smoke,” Mr Miezis said.
“The sensor network will give a real time indication of the air quality in local regional areas,” he said.
“This is the largest air sensor network program we have undertaken.
“This Pilot Project will help us determine how a sensor network can improve our air monitoring coverage across Victoria before we consider a permanent arrangement.”
Mr Miezis said the rollout complemented the 41 existing monitoring sites across Melbourne, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley, as well as the Victoria State Emergency Service’s (VICSES) community smoke monitoring program and EPA’s incident air monitoring capacity.
“Most of the new sensors are located at VICSES sites, building on an existing relationship established through the community smoke monitoring initiative,” he said.
“Sensors have also been located at some Country Fire Authority sites, councils and educational institutions.”
Mr Miezis said hourly air quality categories from each sensor, indicating the level of smoke and other fine particles in the town, would be available through EPA’s AirWatch website this month.
He said the Program was funded through a partnership between EPA and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
EPA’s AirWatch website can be accessed at this PS News link.
