The bi-partisan inquiry into the impacts of air quality on health in Australia has made 13 recommendations, including covering coal wagons, buffer zones to protect populated areas from coal dust, and better monitoring and enforcement of air quality.

The committee has also recommended that the government assess the cumulative effect of nearby coal mines before approving new mines. 

The committee heard evidence and received submissions from numerous medical and community groups, including the Asthma Foundation of NSW and the Australian Medical Association. 

In its submission, Asthma Foundation NSW cited NSW government research that found that nearly 40 per cent of nine to 15-year-olds in the Hunter Valley and New England region suffered from some form of asthma, well above the national average of 10 per cent.

The Australian Medical Association submission said Australian air quality standards lagged behind international standards and had failed to keep pace with scientific evidence. 

“Insufficient monitoring and poor compliance mechanisms, fragmentation between different sectors and tiers of government, and the lack of exposure targets are but some of the areas requiring review and reform,” the submission said. 

However, the NSW Minerals Council submission said the issue of coal dust had attracted “exaggerated claims” about potential health impacts and that the health of people in mining areas was comparable to that of residents in other areas of NSW. 

NSW Environment Protection Authority chairman Barry Buffer said the authority would review the report and provide comment to the NSW government.

He said air quality continued to be a priority area for the NSW EPA, which would continue to work closely with the community and stakeholders on air quality issues.  

The Lock the Gate Alliance and Hunter Community Environment Centre welcomed the findings of the report and urged candidates in the federal election to make the recommendations a priority. 

 “It’s heartening to see the committee recommend covering coal wagons and implementation of the recommendations from the review of the Air Quality Environment Protection Measure, which are now three years old,” Hunter Community Environment Centre spokesperson Paul Winn said.