Page 219 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020
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were asking questions like, “What is the smoke level today? Is it safe to go outside? Is it safe to work? Is my event cancelled? How can I stop the smoke entering my home? What is the situation for people who don’t have a home? What is the smoke doing to my health? What is the smoke doing to my child’s health or my elderly parents’ health, or my asthmatic friend’s health, or perhaps even my pet’s health?”
As my motion says, the unprecedented air quality problems have exposed a variety of issues that the government needs to consider. Sadly, with climate change a reality, we cannot assume that these smoke waves will be a one-off.
As part of adapting to climate change and to ensure that Canberrans are protected in the future, we need a comprehensive plan in place to make sure that we respond as effectively as possible to smoke and air quality problems. I note that an ACT air quality strategy will have wider benefits for the other air quality issues in the ACT, the ones that do not relate to bushfire smoke. Those issues include smoke from wood heaters, particularly in Tuggeranong, and ad hoc events such as the Mitchell chemical fire that occurred in 2011.
The summer of smoke has already provided many lessons to the ACT government. The government was responsive to the unexpected smoke. As an example, ACT Health has already taken many steps to improve data collection and the provision of information to the public. There is still more to do though. For example, the environment commissioner’s State of the environment report, which I am tabling this afternoon, encourages the government to increase the number of air quality monitoring stations and to improve knowledge about the impacts of air pollution.
The most obvious issue resulting from poor air quality is its impact on health. This summer, bushfire smoke regularly meant the readings PM10 and PM2.5 pollution in Canberra were at poor, hazardous or even extremely hazardous levels. On several occasions, as is very well known and is seared into our minds, we had the worst air quality in the entire world. No-one ever imagined that this could happen in Canberra.
Members will probably know this already, as everyone in Canberra has now researched the issue, but PM stands for particulate matter. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is less than two micrometres in size. That means it is fine particulate matter. PM10 is larger. PM2.5 pollution is particularly problematic as the fine particles are inhaled deep into the lungs. They can stay there and also enter the bloodstream. They have short-term health impacts, which are well understood, and people in Canberra experienced them—respiratory issues, dizziness, feeling unwell—and they are particularly bad for people with asthma or lung or cardiac issues. They also increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
Mortality is increased on days on which there is a significant air pollution reading. In Victoria on the smokiest days there was a doubling in ambulance call-outs and there was a report, tragically, of an elderly woman who died shortly after arriving at Canberra airport as a result of breathing issues that were said to be connected to the air quality.
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