The Minister for Transport & Infrastructure
Ms Gabrielle Williams
PO Box 2392
Melbourne 3001
14/4/2025
RE: CMIN-1-24-7042, 27/3/2025, Letter to Mr Nick Young (Should be John Young)
Dear Gabrielle,
I am writing to take you to task regarding some very bad information you write in your letter. I would be pleased to meet with you and request a meeting to discuss further. You have been very badly advised on these matters. I expand as follows:
1. You say the NELP will meet “Victorias stringent air quality requirements”. The EES Air Quality Chapter 10, Figure 10-8 shows anything but. NELP is allowed no breaches of PM2.5 24 hr. PM2.5 is a carcinogen. WHO say the only safe level is zero. The NELP eye of the pollution storm happens at Marcellin College & Belle Vue Primary School. So on top of getting it wrong, you are exposing school kids playing sport on high pollution days, to poising of their lungs. We protect kids from sun exposure. We teach them not to smoke, but we send them out to play in unsafe carcinogenic air. Diesel fuel is the main culprit. See Figure 10-8 attached. I also have FOI July 2024 data (attached) which shows PM2.5 breaches are happening NOW, WITHOUT NELP.
2. 110 Environmental Performance Requirements: Many of these EPR’s are breached regularly without penalty. They continue to be breached. Noisy night works is foremost. NELP/ Spark are not dealing with this problem breaching EPR NV3. Others are too many to mention here. Read the IEA Reports. The EPR process needs EPA oversight. The Independent Environmental Auditor is failing in enforcement.
3. You state that emissions from ventilation structures (vent stacks) will not harm health. You need to combine the vent stacks PM2.5 pollution with the Eastern Freeway PM2.5 pollution and the story is very different. The Health Impact Assessment done by Dr Jackie Wright has completely ignored this in her report. She chose to ignore the health impact on the local community, and she says that. WHY, WHY, WHY? Again Figure 10-8 shows the PM2.5 air pollution impact on the local community.
It is appalling to think that these things are happening. There are solutions that will at least make the NELP compliant on the above issues. I will expand at our meeting if you agree to meet.
Regards,
Barry Watson
Doncaster Resident