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Clean air for NSW consultation paper
Over 120 ships arrive at the White Bay cruise terminal per year. Each burns dirty, dangerous high sulphur fuel emitting harmful air pollutants into the surrounding neighbourhood and beyond.
Yet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air for NSW Consultation Paper fails to deal adequately with pollution from cruise ships at White Bay, and proposes no action to end it. This consultation paper will set the strategic objectives of the NSW government in relation to air quality.
The NSW Government needs to install shore to ship electric power at the White Bay cruise terminal. It’s the long term solution to ensure clean, healthy air for the community of Sydney.
Please fill in your name and address below to make a submission to the Environmental Protection Agency, telling them you want them to take real action to end pollution at White Bay:
To: EPA Air Policy unit
I note with disappointment that the Clean Air for NSW Consultation Paper does not make mention of the significant levels of toxic pollution emitted by cruise vessels burning sulphur fuel at the White Bay Cruise Terminal. This is a significant source of air pollution for the surrounding area, with residents reporting health issues including breathing difficulties and asthma.
The Consultation Paper also makes no mention of the lack of regulation of cruise ships burning high sulphur fuel while travelling through Sydney Harbour, despite the fact that it has 35 times higher levels of sulphur than the fuel they are required to use in Europe and 3,500 times the level required by Australian diesel cars.
I urge you to directly address this significant air pollution issue, and to take action to protect residents both of the area around White Bay, and the broader Sydney Harbour, from the health risk posed by cruise ship pollution.
The only long term solution to address both noise and emissions is shore to ship power and we encourage the EPA to set the installation of this technology as a key goal to enhance air quality.
Yours sincerely,
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We do not want to see the rapid escalation of diseases which are preventable if government imposes proper planning restrictions and regulates polluting industries such as the cruise ships. Balmain was freed of the extremely negative impacts arising from shipping terminals and heavy industry by the 1980s when these incompatible land uses ceased. Many more residents were then housed there as the sites became available for redevelopment and the residential amenity increased,
It is a sad and concerning circumstance that sees our governments again exposing the people of Leichhardt local government area and of Sydney to unacceptable levels of air pollution by failing to give effect to strong land use planning and regulatory controls.
If cruise ships want to enter Sydney Harbour and White Bay so that their passengers can enjoy the Harbour and the City, then now, when demand to visit Sydney is high, is the time to establish the highest standards to protect health and wellbeing from serious air pollution. Do not wait until the statistics for disease increase to dangerous levels.