In a partnership between the community, industry and government, local miners and power generators have jointly funded the Upper Hunter Air Quality Monitoring Network.

At the official launch in Singleton yesterday, Muswellbrook Shire mayor Martin Rush described the opening of the new air quality monitoring network as a wonderful first step, but emphasised it was a first step.

“There will be no doubt that the pm2.5 and 10 debate will continue, we will be looking at the continued compliance monitoring and we also have to look at the health services and the shortage of GPs,” he said.

The air quality information can be accessed through the Depart-ment of Environment Climate Change and Water website at www.environment.nsw.gov.au.

The information is basic and simply records the average reading on a 24 hourly basis of both

particulate matter size 10 and the tiny 2.5s.

At this stage only Singleton and Muswellbrook’s monitoring station is up and running.

Within the next three months another four stations will be operational and the remaining eight by the end of the year.

Environment minister Frank Sartor made the trip to Singleton to officially open the network.

He was joined by the Director General of the department Lisa Corbyn and NSW Minerals Council chief executive Dr Nikki Williams in the formalities.

Mr Sartor emphasised the importance of the network, given the growth of the coal industry.

“It is time we realised the cumulative impacts but we can’t measure if things like respiratory disease is linked unless we have the scientifice data, levels of pollution and dust etcetera,” Mr Sartor said.

“We know dust comes from trucks, bull dozers, overburden and blasting and I urge coal mines to improve their blasting, we can no longer have these plumes of red dust, this has to be addressed.”