Member for Cootamundra Ms Steph Cooke MP today announced new air quality monitoring equipment installed at West Wyalong airport will help improve understanding of air quality, particularly in relation to dust storms and smoke hazes in the West Wyalong area.
“The dust storms and smoke haze we experienced across NSW this past summer has really put air quality at front of mind,” Ms Cooke said.
“The new monitoring system is part of a $1.2 million investment by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in regional Australia.”
The NSW Government’s air quality monitoring network ensures that the community of NSW has accurate and up-to-date information about air quality that government agencies and others can use to provide high-quality, reliable information for the public on health, land management and regulation.
The data from the West Wyalong airport system is updated hourly and available at https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/air-quality/rural-air-quality-network-live-data.
“The NSW Rural Air Quality Monitoring Network gives people and health services across regional and rural NSW access to real time air quality data,” Ms Cooke said.
The Rural Air Quality Monitoring Network (DustWatch) is funded by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment while Council provides in-kind routine maintenance of the system.
For further information about the NSW Government’s comprehensive air quality monitoring network, visit https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/air/monitoring-air-quality
