18th of February 2025, 12:49pm
Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan):
My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. My constituent resides in Yarraville, and her primary school age son has had multiple medical visits over the last year due to severe asthma. He is not alone. Hospital admissions for young people with respiratory illnesses in the City of Maribyrnong are 171 per cent higher than the national average.
This issue may not have been as prominent when the decision was made in 2017 not to install filtration on the West Gate Tunnel stacks. However, recent evidence now clearly shows the serious health risks from air pollution, especially ultrafine particles and nitrogen dioxide.
My constituent asks: given the scientific evidence, will the minister act to protect the health of kids in Yarraville, Newport, Williamstown and surrounding suburbs by installing filters on the tunnel vent stacks?
Written Answer
Received: 19 March 2025
Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP
(Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport)
I thank the Member for his question.
The Victorian Government is working to improve air quality in Melbourne’s west through a range of initiatives – this includes delivering the West Gate Tunnel Project, which will provide a new route to the Port and move thousands of trucks off local roads.
Comprehensive studies conducted as part of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the West Gate Tunnel showed that the project will generally improve air quality along roads in the inner west.
Modelling shows that the air quality will improve at a local level, due to removing trucks away from houses, schools and community centres. The 24/7 ‘no truck zones’ that will be introduced on six inner west roads from the opening of the project late this year will make a noticeable difference.
The project will also turn former industrial land into over nine hectares of new open spaces for the community to enjoy, deliver more walking and cycling paths and new connections between popular trails to make it easier to use active transport to get around, and plant over 26,000 new trees along the project corridor.
Air quality has been a major consideration in the design and delivery of the West Gate Tunnel Project and was subject to rigorous and robust review as part of the project’s environmental and planning approvals. Detailed air quality modelling prepared as part of the project’s approvals process found that air quality would generally improve across the region with the new road operating.
The West Gate Tunnel’s ventilation system has been designed to meet Victoria’s stringent air quality standards and Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a Works Approval.
EPA’s assessment of the project’s Works Approval application included consideration of the ventilation system design and predicted air quality impacts. EPA confirmed that the design complied with Victorian requirements without needing filtration.
Once the tunnels are open, daily monitoring program results will be made publicly available. Additionally, in-tunnel air quality and ventilation structure emissions will also be monitored to ensure air quality parameters are within acceptable limits.
The new road’s operator, Transurban, is also required to engage with the EPA on an ongoing basis.
[ENDS]
