Parliament set to wind back diesel controls

Friday, 08 November 2002 10:00

A motion to be considered by State Parliament next Tuesday would revoke a fundamental clean air law controlling diesel exhaust and expose pedestrians, cyclists and other road users to increased levels of highly dangerous fine particles the Total Environment Centre (TEC) warned today.

TEC Urban Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said "State Parliament is being asked to turn the clock back 26 years on diesel exhausts and place at risk the health of all other road users and the community at large".

The motion, by the Chairman of Parliament's Regulation Review Committee and Member for Bathurst Gerard Martin, seeks to disallow a clause of the State Government's Protection of the Environment (Clean Air - Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicles Fuels) Regulation 2002 requiring diesel vehicles over 4.5 tonnes to be fitted with vertical exhausts. Vertical exhausts direct emissions higher into the air, allowing greater dispersal and reducing the exposure of other road users to particulate pollution.

The requirement has been in place since 1976 and has been renewed in the new regulation which was gazetted on 4 September 2002. In recognition of improvements to engine technology , Vehicles manufactured after 2007, which will comply with the strict Australian Design Rule (ADR) 80/01 (Euro 4) emission standards, will be exempt.

These vehicles will produce particulate emissions around 94% lower than current models, eliminating the need for vertical exhausts.

If passed by Parliament, however, the disallowance motion will mean that heavy diesels will no longer be required to have vertical exhausts whether they meet the new standard or not.
"This is a crazy, irresponsible motion that will seriously undermine current air quality and public health strategies. It will also mean that there is little incentive for the trucking industry to move to much cleaner ADR 80/01 compliant vehicles", Mr Martin said.

Particulate pollution from diesel vehicles have been found to cause respiratory damage and, increase mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and reduce lung function in children with asthma.

TEC has urged the State Government and the Minister for the Environment the Hon Bob Debus MP to vigorously oppose the resolution when Parliament resumes next week. "No government that claims to be serious about reducing air pollution and protecting public health could possibly support such an outrageous idea", Mr Martin said.