MTAG has jumped to the support of the Grattan Institute’s truck plan, calling for low emission zones to be introduced in the City of Maribyrnong to avoid the impacts of older heavy vehicle pollution
The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) is raising its voice, supporting previous calls to ban older trucks in key Melbourne areas to limit heavy vehicle pollution and its impacts.
In August last year, the Grattan Institute started the conversation by releasing its Grattan truck plan that listed practical policies for cleaner freight.
MTAG is now calling for the ideas in this truck plan to be upheld to prevent dangerous effects of older heavy vehicles.
“It’s sobering reading but it’s gratifying when major reports such as this back up everything we’ve been saying for years,” MTAG says.
The report warned that pollution from trucks kills more than 400 Australians a year and contributes to diseases like lung cancer, strokes and asthma.
In response to this threat, the report called for measures to reduce the pollution impacts of old trucks, including the idea to introduce low emission zones for Sydney and Melbourne within the next three years and ban diesel trucks more than 20 years old.
This report was then supplemented by Austroads’ investigation on the matter, which looked at ways to manage the impacts of aged heavy vehicles.
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MTAG wants to see this idea trialled in the City of Maribyrnong.
“Both reports single out the City of Maribyrnong as a perfect example of a highly impacted community and call for a low emission zone,” MTAG says.
“Both reports call for financial support for industry to upgrade the fleet, highlighting the crucial work that trucks do. Both reports have calculated the cost to the health system to keep these old trucks running and its absolutely massive.
“This must end. Addressing this problem is good for the economy, good for community and good for industry. Government cannot ignore this any longer.”
MTAG reference the Grattan Institute’s transport and cities program director Marion Terrill, who says the country needs to act faster to limit the harm that trucks cause to people’s health and the environment.
“People think low-emission zones are a big deal, but it is really a very well accepted policy overseas, and it shouldn’t be seen as radical,” Terrill says.