9th of April, 2025, 3:04pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
West Metro MP David Ettershank is disappointed that a $15 million state scheme to get polluting trucks off west Melbourne roads has been shut down, meaning it is more essential than ever to get filters fitted to the Westgate tunnel stacks.
Mr Ettershank said in 2022 the Allan government promised grants of $20,000 to truck drivers willing to update old trucks to less polluting models, but a year-and-a-half later not one grant has been issued.
“The Victorian government said the aim of the grants was to reduce pollution in Melbourne’s west,” Mr Ettershank said.
“I doubt grants of up to $20,000 would be enough to motivate truck owners to buy energy-efficient trucks.
“A medium truck costs between $70,000 to $150,000 while a heavy-duty big rig costs more than $200,000 so a $20,000 grant would only cover the cost of rego and insurance and little more.
“When Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos tried to justify not putting filters on the Westgate tunnel stacks he pointed to alternate initiatives to reduce emissions from freight, including this failed scheme.
“Another lack-lustre government initiative was $20 million to fix unsealed council roads to reduce dust pollution. Let’s be honest that won’t do much.
“Around 70,000 cars and trucks a day will use the new $10 billion toll Westgate tunnel, the emissions from the two ventilation structures must be filtered.
“Vehicle emissions can’t just be pumped back via unfiltered stacks. The West Gate Tunnel Project’s Inquiry and Advisory Committee recommended that filters be fitted, it’s time Minister Dimopoulos listened.”
Maribyrnong Council declared a health emergency due to poor air quality, noting that hospital admissions for young people with respiratory ailments are 171% above the Australian average.
In the suburb of Brooklyn, air quality has exceeded PM10 standards (a high concentration of dust-sized pollutant particles) nine times since July 2024, down from a peak of 30 times in the year 2019.
Studies have shown air pollution from Yarraville to the Port of Melbourne is twice the acceptable rate as set by the Environment Protection Authority. Maribyrnong City Council declared a health emergency in in 2023 because of the impacts of air and noise pollution from trucks.
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