People living in and around Brooklyn will have the opportunity to speak directly with councils, government agencies, local industries and community groups about their efforts to improve air quality in the area, at the next meeting of the Brooklyn Community Representative Group (BCRG).
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is encouraging the Brooklyn community to attend the Open House information session from 4-7pm on 8 March 2017 at the Brooklyn Community Hall in Cypress Avenue.
EPA Metro Manager, Dan Hunt said the meeting would move away from its regular format in direct response to clear feedback from the community, that they did not just want presentations on the data.
“The Open House approach will allow community members to walk around and speak with a number of different organisations directly throughout the evening,” Mr Hunt said.
“Usually the meetings have been set up in a lecture type format where representatives would address a crowd but this set-up will allow community members to walk around, view information and have one-on-one conversations with EPA, council and industry.”
“EPA will be on hand to talk about its compliance work in the Brooklyn Industrial Precinct and about organisational reforms resulting from the Inquiry into EPA and the subsequent Victorian Government response.
“EPA’s Applied Sciences Group will also be conducting tours of the air monitoring station at Brooklyn Reserve.
“We encourage the community to drop in at any time during the open house information session on 8 March to ask questions and hear more about the work being undertaken to improve air quality in the area.
“Air quality has improved significantly in the area and efforts to reduce these impacts are a great example of community, industry and government working together.”
This has included the sealing of Bunting and Jones roads, EPA regulating industrial sites in the area where dust discharges are contributing to pollution and working closely with council to ensure other roads are not an ongoing source of pollution.
“While there have been significant improvements in air quality, Brooklyn still has poorer air quality than many parts of Victoria, and the community continues to endure dust impacts,” Mr Hunt said.
“EPA will continue to play a main role in the BCRG, work with relevant authorities and community and continue to regulate industrial sites to help eliminate or minimise pollution sources.”
For further information on the Open House, drop-in event please visit: www.brooklynip.com.au/bcrg-community-forum
BCRG has been operating since 2008 and is a joint group made up of representatives from EPA Victoria, Brimbank City Council and Hobsons Bay City Council.