Third Review of Action for Air

THIRD REVIEW OF ACTION FOR AIR THE NSW GOVERNMENT’S 25 YEAR AIR QUALITY PLAN WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW INITIATIVES Total Environment Centre Inc www.tec.org.au November 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was produced by Leigh Martin, Karine Weiss and Chris Standen. Financial support was received from the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Our thanks to the following individuals, organisations and government agencies who provided information and comment on the various programs: Action for Public Transport Bicycle NSW Canterbury City Council Department of Environment and Climate Change Garry Glazebrook – University of Technology Sydney Harris Community Centre Phillip Laird – University of Wollongong Marrickville Council Pedestrian Council of Australia Residents Against Polluting Stacks (RAPS) Third review of Action for Air 2007 ABOUT TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE Total Environment Centre (TEC) was established in 1972 as an environmental advocacy centre. Since then it has worked on a wide range of environment protection campaigns - natural and urban, coastal and inland, country and city. Included has been air pollution and the sustainable city as an enduring concern. The Centre also provides public information on environmental concerns, such as toxic chemicals and safer alternatives, and provides assistance on how to run a campaign, deal with the media and lobby politicians. It undertakes environmental consultancies, organises conferences and publishes reports and books. Since 2003 TEC has also been undertaking the leading Green Capital program to encourage and support genuine moves by business towards social and environmental responsibility. The Centre is a non-profit, non-government organisation funded mainly by donations and project grants. Paid staff are assisted by volunteers. For more information on how to make a donation to Total Environment Centre, or to join in our work, visit our website – www.tec.org.au Total Environment Centre Level 4, 78 Liverpool Street Sydney PO Box A176 Sydney South NSW 1235 Ph: 09 9261 3437 Fax: 02 9261 3990 www.tec.org.au Third review of Action for Air 2007 CONTENTS Summary 2 Introduction 3 Part 1: Action for Air Progress to Date 5 OBJECTIVE 1 (see Table 1) 7 Strategy A – integrate urban infrastructure and transport planning 7 Strategy B – improve management of freight transportation 8 Recommendations OBJECTIVE 2 (see Table 2) 15 Strategy A – provide better public transport 15 Strategy B – provide for cycling and walking 19 Strategy C – change travel behaviour through education 19 Recommendations 20 OBJECTIVE 3 (see Table 3) 39 Strategy A – reduce car emissions 39 Strategy B – reduce diesel vehicle emissions 40 Strategy C – promote cleaner fuels 40 Recommendations 41 OBJECTIVE 4 (see Table 4) 52 Strategy B – develop cost effective approaches for small businesses 52 Recommendations 53 OBJECTIVE 5 (see Table 5) 59 Strategy A – reduce emissions from solid-fuel heaters 59 Strategy B – improve energy efficiency of homes 59 Recommendations 60 OBJECTIVE 6 (see Table 6) 65 Strategy A – manage the impact of open burning 65 OBJECTIVE 7 (see Table 7) 68 Strategy A – monitor, report, review 68 Recommendations 68 PART 2: Action for Air New Initiatives Curbing VKT and Reducing Vehicle Emissions 72 Road Supply Management 73 Demand management initiatives 73 Congestion charging/road pricing 73 Improving public transport infrastructure and services 78 Reducing/offsetting per VKT emissions 78 Indoor Air Quality 81 1. Introduce child-centred environmental health policy and regulation 82 2. Adopt a new regulatory framework for chemicals in Australia 3. Sponsor and promote prevention-orientated research 83 4. Undertake extensive community education campaigns Revising Action for Air 83 Part 3 Developing a National Template for Air Quality Management 84 Setting air quality targets 84 Setting VKT targets 84 Integrating planning and public transport 84 Reducing demand for vehicle use 84 Reducing vehicle emissions 84 Reducing point source emissions 85 Monitoring and reporting 85 Indoor air quality 85 References 86 Third review of Action for Air 2007 Page 1 SUMMARY With Action for Air approaching its tenth year the It is clear that a major effort is required to improve 2007 Clean Air Forum provides a timely opportunity public transport by investing in new infrastructure. to assess progress to date and focus on initiatives This should be coupled to strong demand for the future. Despite progress on reducing management measures such as congestion emissions from fixed sources, air quality goals for charging and a major overhaul of parking policies. ground level ozone and fine particles are regularly There is also a strong need to refocus Action for Air exceeded. This is likely to be directly attributable to to reflect new knowledge and information. In its the failure to meet targets for curbing growth in original form Action for Air did not address vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) and insufficient greenhouse gas emissions or indoor air quality. investment in public transport. Monitoring and reporting procedures adopted by Progress against each of the strategies in Action for Action for Air no longer reflect international best Air was assessed. The results show mixed practice. performance: Another concern is the degree of seriousness that Integrating urban infrastructure and public air quality is given in development decisions. There transport – poor are doubts that at the macro and regional planning Improving management of freight transportation – levels, institutional arrangements have the capacity poor to treat air quality as an eminent matter, even though it is mentioned in planning strategies. Providing better public transport – poor Providing for cycling and walking – average Action for Air should be revised and updated to address the various challenges. Changing travel behaviour through education – average TEC also recommends that the components in Reducing car emissions – good Action for Air and experience gained from the last ten years be a basis for a national template applied Reducing diesel emissions – good to capital cities in Australia, to protect air quality for Promoting cleaner fuels – good urban citizens. Reducing Industrial emissions – average Developing cost effective approaches for small businesses – average Reducing emissions from solid fuel heaters – average Improving energy efficiency of homes – good Managing the impact of open burning – good Monitoring, reporting and reviewing air quality - average Third review of Action for Air 2007 Page 2 INTRODUCTION Action for Air is the State Government’s 25 year plan under 10µm (PM10) are of greatest concern as they to improve air quality in the Greater Metropolitan are small enough to be inhaled and remain within Region of Sydney, the Illawarra and the Lower the respiratory system. Health effects associated Hunter. Launched in 1998 the aim of the plan is to with fine particles include increased hospital improve air quality in the Greater Metropolitan admissions and mortality from cardiovascular and Region (GMR) of Sydney, Newcastle and respiratory diseases, reduced lung function in Wollongong. It provides a framework for measures asthmatic children and respiratory problems in to improve air quality across a number of children. government agencies. Since Action for Air was first released in 1998, it has Action for Air seeks to improve air quality by tackling become apparent that very fine particles of 2.5µm or the two major pollution problems in the GMR - less (PM2.5) pose the greatest health risk as these photochemical smog and particle pollution. particles are inhaled more deeply into the very small airways of the lungs (DEC, 2006a). While an Photochemical smog is the result of the advisory reporting standard for PM was added to atmospheric reaction of oxides of nitrogen (NO ) 2.5 x the NEPM in 2003, there is currently no health and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), triggered based standard for these very fine particles. by sunlight. Major sources of VOCs are unburnt fuel emissions from vehicle exhausts, evaporative losses The main sources of fine particles are motor from vehicles and industries, solvents and vehicles (especially diesel), industry, and the vegetation (VOCs are sometimes also grouped commercial and domestic sector (particularly solid under the heading reactive organic compounds or fuel heaters). ROCs). Major NOx sources are emissions from Action for Air has seven principal objectives vehicles and industry. designed to reduce emissions of NOx, VOCs and The principal measure of photochemical smog is PM10: ground level concentrations of the major smog 1. Integrate air quality goals and transport component, ozone. Ground level ozone has been planning. shown to have adverse effects on human health including triggering asthma attacks and other 2. Provide more and better transport choices. respiratory problems and impairing immune 3. Make cars, trucks and buses cleaner. function. 4. Promote cleaner business. Apart from its role in producing ozone, nitrogen 5. Promote cleaner homes. dioxide (NO2) has also been found to trigger 6. Manage the impact of open burning. asthma and respiratory problems on its own. It has 7. Monitor, report and review air quality. also been found to increase the effects of some allergens and is associated with increased hospital Each of these objectives includes a range of admissions for heart disease. strategies and actions designed to improve air quality in the GMR. Particle pollution arises from a variety

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