Monitoring and regulating air pollution
Outdoor (ambient) air pollution has an impact on our health. Reducing air pollution means healthier people and a healthier environment.
The ACT has excellent air quality against global and national standards and has been monitored for almost 40 years.
ACT Health is responsible for three monitoring stations in Monash, Florey and Civic. The pollution level is monitored at these stations and compared to national and territory air quality standards.
Find out more about air quality health advice.
Improving air quality in the ACT
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is established under the Environment Protection Act 1997 (the Act) and is responsible for administration of the Act.
The Act aims to ensure that air quality in the ACT meets national standards by minimising environmental harm from local emissions of air pollutants, while still permitting necessary or socially acceptable activities to take place.
The EPA is also responsible for annual reporting under the Ambient Air Quality National Environment Protection Measure (AAQ NEPM), which provides air quality standards for the most common air pollutants.
Go the National Enviroment Protection Council to find out more.
Wood heaters
The ACT Government has also worked to reduce particulate emissions from wood heaters used for home heating.
Initiatives include:
- regulating firewood merchants
- removing old inefficient wood heaters through the Wood Heater Replacement Program
- the annual Burn Right Tonight campaign on using wood heaters correctly to reduce pollution.
Prescribed burns
The ACT Parks and Conservation Service also conducts several prescribed burns throughout the year to prepare for the fire season.
Go to the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development website to find out about:
Updates on prescribed burns
- Twitter @ACT_Parks
- Facebook @ACTParks
- Phone Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
Other air quality projects
ACT Health is working to reduce people’s exposure to harmful levels of pollution.
Find out more: