Air & atmosphere
Air & atmosphere
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Air & atmosphere
Poor air quality, even for short periods, dramatically impacts human health and the health of plants and animals.
- Air quality is impacted by the use of combustion engines and pollution from commercial, industrial and manufacturing facilities.
- Air quality can also be dramatically impacted in SEQ by events such as bushfires, dust storms, and mining.
- Stable atmospheric, air quality and climate systems are natural assets that have historically underpinned the quality of life in SEQ.
- The region has a major role to play in meeting the Queensland Government’s target of achieving net zero carbon pollution emissions by 2050.
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Air & atmosphere threats and pressures
- Increasing combustion engine vehicle usage.
- Poor and inappropriate fire management.
- Dust storms.
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Air & atmosphere current state
- Air quality monitoring for SEQ shows that the level of dangerous particulates in the air is increasing.
- Population growth, denser urban settlement patterns, intensifying industrial activity and increasing combustion engine vehicle numbers are driving this trend.
- Levels of other pollutants such as fluoride, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide show a decreasing trend, and this is associated with changes in electricity production in the region and the moves towards decreasing coal production.
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Air & atmosphere priority actions
The following actions will play a critical role in meeting the air and atmosphere targets.
These actions have been identified by the South East Queensland community. These actions are updated regularly in the region's Natural Resource Management Plan, which is managed by Healthy Land & Water on behalf of the region's community.
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Plan |
Minimise impacts of airborne pollution on the population by locating emitting industries in appropriate zones with adequate controls and mitigation. Support emissions reduction/land sector abatement opportunities (e.g. carbon forest abatement/blue carbon aggregation). |
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Planning provisions should ensure that residential and other sensitive uses do not directly interface with industrial uses through effective land use planning. |
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Support and create processes for the community and various levels of government to work together to develop new and enhanced land use planning mechanisms to achieve SEQ NRM Plan targets. |
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Manage |
Improve fire management across the region including effective hazard reduction burn programs (often also referred to as controlled burns). |
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Implement waste minimisation and efficient reuse programs. |
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Develop citizen science activities to genuinely engage the community in stewardship of their environs that contribute to air quality outcomes. |
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Deploy additional targeted air quality monitoring as required. |
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Expansion of air quality monitoring capacity to understand more locally relevant pollutant exposure risks. |
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Restore |
Offset regional carbon emissions through targeted revegetation in priority areas that contribute to other outcomes identified in this plan. |
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Establish, retain and enhance vegetation in priority buffer areas and corridors including those inside the urban footprint to protect air quality. |
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Improve air quality monitoring including through citizen science. |
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Empower |
Support increased adoption of low and zero emission transport activities including through public transport and cycling. |
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Support increased adoption of renewable power sources. |
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Air & atmosphere targets
Atmosphere, air and climate are natural resources that play a key role in the health of the natural system. Factors such as continued population growth, the number of households and an increasing reliance on motor vehicles pose a threat to future air quality. Maintaining and enhancing the region’s air quality is a key element when considering future land use options and transport modifications.
Headline target
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By 2031, levels of air pollutants in SEQ will be at or below the associated objectives in the Environment Protection (Air) Policy 2008.
Summary of asset targets
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The region will make an equitable contribution to national and regional targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. - Air Quality
The levels of air pollutants in the SEQ air shed will be at or below the quality objectives in the appropriate Schedule of the Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008. - Thermal, Noise and Light Pollution
SEQ thermal pollution will be at or below 2003 levels, noise pollution will be at or below 1998 levels, and light pollution will be at or below 1998 levels.
Healthy Land & Water
Level 11, 240 Queen St
GPO Box 735
MEANJIN (BRISBANE)
QLD 4001
Australia
Healthy Land and Water Ltd
ABN 91 115 662 989
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