Greens want inquiry into truck emissions in Melbourne's west in the wake of findings linking diesel exhaust emissions to cancer
By Brad Gardner | August 20, 2012
The Victorian Greens want a public inquiry into the impact of truck emissions in Melbourne’s inner west in the wake of recent findings linking diesel exhaust emissions to cancer.
Greens MP Colleen Hartland, whose electorate takes in suburbs with high levels of truck traffic, claims inner west residents are being exposed to diesel exhaust emissions “thousands of times higher” than the average Melbournian.
The International Agency for Research and Cancer in June found that diesel engine exhaust emissions cause lung cancer and increase the risk of bladder cancer.
“Now we know that diesel exhaust is in the same category as asbestos and passive cigarette smoke, it is time to do something about it,” she says.
Hartland wants Health Minister David Davis to initiate a public inquiry or conduct a health assessment to determine the impact of diesel exhaust emissions on residents and to identify solutions to reduce exposure.
“To sit back and do nothing would be to jeopardise the health of thousands of people in the west,” she says.
More than 20,000 trucks are estimated to travel through Melbourne’s inner west each day as an alternative to using the West Gate corridor to access ports. Hartland says thousands of trucks pass schools, kindergartens and child care centres.
“Yarraville Gardens is bordered by two truck routes. If you were to spend the day in the gardens, you would be exposed to the diesel fumes of around 4,000 trucks. It is not exactly a pleasant place for a picnic,” she says.
Government MP Georgie Crozier says Melbourne’s air quality is “far better” than other cities around the world and that the Environment Protection Authority monitors air quality to make sure standards are being met.
“Victoria’s air quality is continuously under review, and that monitoring will take into account the latest evidence in the recent studies about which Ms Hartland spoke,” Crozier says.
The Victorian Government is seeking federal funding to help it build an east-west link tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway to CityLink and connecting CityLink to the Port of Melbourne.
“It would remove trucks from the streets and would provide truck drivers with an efficient way of getting to the Port of Melbourne and other ports,” MP Andrew Elsbury, who holds the seat of Western Metropolitan, says.
“It would free up our roads for local traffic and for concerns about diesel fuel to be mitigated in some way.”
However, Hartland has questioned if truck drivers will use the tunnel if it is tolled.
