However, when standards are in place and the technology can deliver the information, the network will be upgraded.

A public meeting facilitated by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) in Muswellbrook on Wednesday explained to about 25 interested residents how the network would work, and it was made clear the project was a work in motion.

More than 70 people attended a similar meeting in Singleton on Tuesday night.

The air quality monitoring network, designed by PAE Holmes air sciences specialist consultant Nigel Holmes, will see 14 air quality monitors, about the size of a garden shed, strategically placed across the Upper Hunter.

But, Mr Holmes said the proposed sites were suggestions only and could change.

The locations revealed at the meetings were: north of Merriwa which would be used as a benchmark to measure air quality coming into the Upper Hunter; south of Aberdeen; three surrounding Muswellbrook; Jerrys Plains; Camberwell; Maison Dieu; Warkworth; Bulga; Mt Thorley and one north-west of Singleton and two on the southern side of Singleton.

Denman residents expressed disappointment at not being included but at Wednesday’s meeting they were told the Merriwa site may be relocated closer to Denman to meet community expectations.

Mr Holmes said the focus of the network was dust and would measure PM10s from a health perspective and that “we still haven’t got our act together on PM2.5s.”

“The technology for PM10s is fixed and we will understand the information,” he said.

Mr Holmes said the community could expect to find if air quality in the Upper Hunter was above or below goals.

He said the information would assist in identifying problems and to devise a management program to fix problems.

The network is anticipated to cost as much as $1.5million and will be funded by coal mines operating in the area.

The system proposed for the Upper Hunter is equivalent to Sydney’s and residents would be able to access the data via the DECCW website.

A request to include community representation on the monitoring committee was acknowledged and the DECCW is accepting public submissions on the proposal via its website www.environment.nsw.gov.au.