Air Pollution Tarnishes 'Green Olympics' Reputation

Wednesday, 13 March 2002 10:00

TEC Urban Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said "The international reputation Sydney established with the 'green Olympics' is now being tarnished by our appalling summer smog and winter fine particle pollution. It seems that Sydney's air is not only bad for your health, but the economy as well".

A list of environmental rankings just published by human resources consultants William M Mercer rated Sydney a lowly 55th, 40 places below US steel city Pittsburgh and 22 places below Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The research was conducted for companies seeking to relocate employees in overseas offices and concluded that air pollution and traffic congestion made Sydney less desirable, particularly for employees with asthmatic children.

"It is clear that our chronic air pollution and traffic congestion is making Sydney less attractive to international companies. If the State Government is serious about attracting investment then it must act immediately to improve public transport and tackle air pollution", Mr Martin said.

A major boost to public transport is required reduce car dependence and improve Sydney's air. Recent reports have revealed that simply to achieve the Government's current air quality targets, public transport use will have to roughly double and CityRail patronage increase by 45%.

"The health, social and economic impacts of our dirty air make it obvious that a major funding increase is needed in this year's state budget to bring forward key public transport projects".

Mr Martin also noted; "while waste and sewage systems were not ranked as badly as air quality, Sydney needs to improve its reuse and recycling credentials, otherwise it fall back further as sustainable city reputations take off."