Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) will work with community to deliver ongoing air monitoring in the Latrobe Valley following the release of the Victorian Budget 2016-17.
The Victorian Government this month unveiled more than $4.4 million in initiatives over five years to deliver ongoing air monitoring in the Latrobe Valley and improved smoke detection across the state.
EPA’s $3.7 million Latrobe Valley Community Air Monitoring and Citizen Science Initiative will:
- reinforce EPA’s commitment to ongoing air quality monitoring and public reporting in the Latrobe Valley;
- continue to actively engage with community to ensure EPA’s air quality monitoring network coverage delivers the best possible representation of overall air quality in the Latrobe Valley;
- seek to extend air quality monitoring coverage to other local communities;
- consider new ways to best communicate air quality information (for example, via mobile phones) and
- support community members to actively monitor their local air and water quality
EPA’s pilot Citizen Science Program was co-designed with community in late 2014 and aims to engage community in monitoring air and water to produce valuable data about their environment.
A further $700,000 will fund EPA’s Smoke Detection Infrastructure Initiative to:
- pre-deploy ten portable smoke detection monitors to sites across regional Victoria based on fire risk profile;
- partner with VicSES to maintain equipment in a constant state of readiness for quick activation and relocation to fire events; and
- provide timely and accurate flow of smoke-related information to emergency services
EPA CEO Nial Finegan said EPA was committed to ensuring the Victorian community received accurate and timely air quality information.
“EPA’s Latrobe Valley Community Air Monitoring and Citizen Science Initiative seeks provide the community with confidence in air quality monitoring in the Latrobe Valley,” Mr Finegan said.
“EPA is committed to working with community to co-design and implement ongoing air monitoring in the Latrobe Valley to provide up-to-date air quality information through EPA’s Air Watch website.”