‘Lip-service won’t fix the air we breathe’: Frustration grows over pollution fears
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Air quality concerns are nothing new, but when major infrastructure projects spark fresh fears, communities are bound to take notice.
A multi-billion-dollar tunnel project has residents questioning whether their neighbourhoods will bear the brunt of unfiltered emissions.
Amid government assurances and expert warnings, locals are demanding answers—before it’s too late.
Concerns over air quality in Melbourne’s inner west intensified as residents protested against the design of two towering ventilation stacks for the $10 billion West Gate Tunnel project.
The 50-metre-high structures, which are set to disperse emissions from the tunnel, were built without air filtration systems, leaving many locals worried about the potential health risks for their families.
Hundreds of residents gathered at a park in Yarraville, 8 km west of Melbourne, to voice their concerns, fearing that pollution from vehicles using the tunnel would spread across homes, schools, and childcare centres.
Local father Alistair said he was ‘disappointed’ by the lack of filtration and worried about the impact of diesel emissions on his child’s health.
Lizbeth, who moved to the area from Bogota, Colombia, attended the event with her 5-year-old daughter, Maya, and said, ‘I came to Australia thinking it would be a more environmentally friendly country, but slowly I’ve been finding that’s not the reality.’
The Victorian government maintained that the ventilation system met stringent air quality standards and that the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) had deemed filtration unnecessary.
Despite this, the stacks had been designed so filtration systems could be added later if monitoring showed a significant impact on local air quality.
Filtration systems have been used in other countries, including Japan, South Korea, and parts of Europe, but the state government argued they were not required in suburbs like Yarraville, Seddon, and Kingsville.
Government modelling suggested the West Gate Tunnel would remove 9,000 trucks from local roads daily, improving air quality in some areas, though other pockets could experience occasional spikes in pollution levels.
The electorates of Footscray and Williamstown, long held by the Labor Party, became the focus of growing community pressure, with some residents urging their MPs to advocate for filtration.
Tom, a Yarraville resident, said: ‘I feel like our local member is just towing the Party line, rather than actually listening to what the community wants, and this is one way to do it.’
Long-term resident Michelle expressed frustration, saying she was tired of politicians offering ‘lip-service’ instead of taking real action.
Member for Footscray Katie Hall defended the project, stating, ‘The West Gate Tunnel will take 9,000 trucks off local roads every day and experts have advised that this will deliver a significant improvement in air quality.’
Hall referenced an EPA report that found a similar filtration trial in New South Wales ‘did not show change in air quality in the local area.’
She acknowledged concerns about emissions but noted that the option to retrofit filtration was a ‘precautionary measure.’
She added: ‘I am not an environmental scientist—but I have confidence in the expertise of the technical experts who have assessed this with the health of our community and the environment as their main priority.’
Member for Williamstown Melissa Horne declined to comment.
The City of Maribyrnong already had the highest rate of hospital admissions for respiratory issues in Victoria among children aged 3 to 19, according to council data.
The city’s 2022 Air Quality Improvement Plan revealed that admission rates were 70 per cent above the Victorian average and up to 171 per cent higher than the national average.
In 2017, an advisory committee for the project recommended installing filtration during construction, but then-planning minister Richard Wynne rejected the proposal, calling it unnecessary and too costly.
The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, which organised the Yarraville protest, called on the EPA to reassess its 2017 decision in light of new evidence on the dangers of diesel emissions.
Group president Martin Wurt said: ‘There’s much better access to data in terms of exposure to diesel emissions and how harmful they are to human health.’
Before the tunnel opens, Wurt wants the project evaluated against updated environmental laws that prioritise preventing harm rather than responding to it after the fact.
‘The tunnel will get the trucks off our streets and underground, but there’s a big vent stack either end of the tunnel system, and that’s simply pumping out unfiltered pollution from the tunnel back over our community,’ he said.
‘If anything, as the Port of Melbourne grows and the more trucks go into the tunnel, we think our health outcomes will get worse.’
The EPA determined before approving the project that emissions from the stacks would have a ‘low’ impact at ground level.
The agency assured that ongoing air quality monitoring would determine whether small particle filters should be retrofitted in the future.
However, environmental scientist Keith Loveridge questioned the adequacy of the monitoring, pointing out that the system would not measure the smallest particles known to pose health risks.
‘They ultrafine particles go straight into the bloodstream and major organs, particularly with children who breathe a lot faster than adults,’ he said.
The Department of Transport referred all inquiries to the West Gate Tunnel Project, a partnership between the Victorian government and toll road operator Transurban.
Transurban stated that the project would ‘transform travel in and out of Melbourne’s west.’
‘The West Gate Tunnel ventilation system has been designed to meet stringent international standards. Extensive modelling was undertaken to inform the design and to ensure safe air quality inside and outside the tunnel,’ it claimed.
‘Once operational, a robust program of ongoing air quality monitoring will ensure the tunnel performs as expected and meets all requirements. Transurban regularly publishes air-quality data on our website and in our sustainability reporting.’
For a closer look at what’s happening beneath Melbourne’s streets, check out this exclusive footage from inside the massive tunnel project.
Watch the video here and share your thoughts in the comments.
With thousands of trucks set to move underground, will the ventilation stacks make air quality better or worse for local communities?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A multi-billion-dollar tunnel project has residents questioning whether their neighbourhoods will bear the brunt of unfiltered emissions.
Amid government assurances and expert warnings, locals are demanding answers—before it’s too late.
Concerns over air quality in Melbourne’s inner west intensified as residents protested against the design of two towering ventilation stacks for the $10 billion West Gate Tunnel project.
The 50-metre-high structures, which are set to disperse emissions from the tunnel, were built without air filtration systems, leaving many locals worried about the potential health risks for their families.
Hundreds of residents gathered at a park in Yarraville, 8 km west of Melbourne, to voice their concerns, fearing that pollution from vehicles using the tunnel would spread across homes, schools, and childcare centres.
Residents protest unfiltered tunnel emissions in Yarraville. Image source: Michael Dahlstrom
Local father Alistair said he was ‘disappointed’ by the lack of filtration and worried about the impact of diesel emissions on his child’s health.
Lizbeth, who moved to the area from Bogota, Colombia, attended the event with her 5-year-old daughter, Maya, and said, ‘I came to Australia thinking it would be a more environmentally friendly country, but slowly I’ve been finding that’s not the reality.’
The Victorian government maintained that the ventilation system met stringent air quality standards and that the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) had deemed filtration unnecessary.
Despite this, the stacks had been designed so filtration systems could be added later if monitoring showed a significant impact on local air quality.
Filtration systems have been used in other countries, including Japan, South Korea, and parts of Europe, but the state government argued they were not required in suburbs like Yarraville, Seddon, and Kingsville.
Government modelling suggested the West Gate Tunnel would remove 9,000 trucks from local roads daily, improving air quality in some areas, though other pockets could experience occasional spikes in pollution levels.
The electorates of Footscray and Williamstown, long held by the Labor Party, became the focus of growing community pressure, with some residents urging their MPs to advocate for filtration.
Tom, a Yarraville resident, said: ‘I feel like our local member is just towing the Party line, rather than actually listening to what the community wants, and this is one way to do it.’
Long-term resident Michelle expressed frustration, saying she was tired of politicians offering ‘lip-service’ instead of taking real action.
Member for Footscray Katie Hall defended the project, stating, ‘The West Gate Tunnel will take 9,000 trucks off local roads every day and experts have advised that this will deliver a significant improvement in air quality.’
Hall referenced an EPA report that found a similar filtration trial in New South Wales ‘did not show change in air quality in the local area.’
She acknowledged concerns about emissions but noted that the option to retrofit filtration was a ‘precautionary measure.’
She added: ‘I am not an environmental scientist—but I have confidence in the expertise of the technical experts who have assessed this with the health of our community and the environment as their main priority.’
Member for Williamstown Melissa Horne declined to comment.
The City of Maribyrnong already had the highest rate of hospital admissions for respiratory issues in Victoria among children aged 3 to 19, according to council data.
The city’s 2022 Air Quality Improvement Plan revealed that admission rates were 70 per cent above the Victorian average and up to 171 per cent higher than the national average.
In 2017, an advisory committee for the project recommended installing filtration during construction, but then-planning minister Richard Wynne rejected the proposal, calling it unnecessary and too costly.
The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, which organised the Yarraville protest, called on the EPA to reassess its 2017 decision in light of new evidence on the dangers of diesel emissions.
Group president Martin Wurt said: ‘There’s much better access to data in terms of exposure to diesel emissions and how harmful they are to human health.’
Before the tunnel opens, Wurt wants the project evaluated against updated environmental laws that prioritise preventing harm rather than responding to it after the fact.
‘The tunnel will get the trucks off our streets and underground, but there’s a big vent stack either end of the tunnel system, and that’s simply pumping out unfiltered pollution from the tunnel back over our community,’ he said.
‘If anything, as the Port of Melbourne grows and the more trucks go into the tunnel, we think our health outcomes will get worse.’
The EPA determined before approving the project that emissions from the stacks would have a ‘low’ impact at ground level.
The agency assured that ongoing air quality monitoring would determine whether small particle filters should be retrofitted in the future.
However, environmental scientist Keith Loveridge questioned the adequacy of the monitoring, pointing out that the system would not measure the smallest particles known to pose health risks.
‘They ultrafine particles go straight into the bloodstream and major organs, particularly with children who breathe a lot faster than adults,’ he said.
The Department of Transport referred all inquiries to the West Gate Tunnel Project, a partnership between the Victorian government and toll road operator Transurban.
Transurban stated that the project would ‘transform travel in and out of Melbourne’s west.’
‘The West Gate Tunnel ventilation system has been designed to meet stringent international standards. Extensive modelling was undertaken to inform the design and to ensure safe air quality inside and outside the tunnel,’ it claimed.
‘Once operational, a robust program of ongoing air quality monitoring will ensure the tunnel performs as expected and meets all requirements. Transurban regularly publishes air-quality data on our website and in our sustainability reporting.’
For a closer look at what’s happening beneath Melbourne’s streets, check out this exclusive footage from inside the massive tunnel project.
Watch the video here and share your thoughts in the comments.
With thousands of trucks set to move underground, will the ventilation stacks make air quality better or worse for local communities?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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