Year in review - NSW skies clearer in 2014

Media release: 13 January 2015

Air quality across much of New South Wales was better in 2014 than in 2013 the annual snap shot of the state’s air quality shows.

 Office of Environment and Heritage, Director of Climate and Atmospheric Science, Mr Matt Riley said the 2014 Annual Air Quality Statement released today was a look at air quality across the Government’s network of 43 air quality monitoring stations over the last 12 months.

 “Analysis across the state in 2014, shows that air quality in NSW was better than the very smoky, dusty year we had in 2013,” Mr Riley said.

 “We still had some days with poor air quality, but overall the skies were clearer. This is largely due to a decrease in the number and extent of bushfires, despite record temperatures and below average rainfall.”

 Data analysed for the Air Quality Statement shows:

• The Air Quality Index was in the Very Good, Good or Fair Category for at least 93 per cent of the time in the Sydney, Lower Hunter and South West Slopes regions and close to 100 per cent of the time in all other regions.
•  Across Sydney air quality was classified as Very Good or Good on 233 days (64% of the time) and Fair on 89 days (24% of the time).
•  Across Sydney Air quality was Poor or worse on 43 days (12% of the time), with the majority of days in the hazardous category associated with smoke from bushfires and hazard reduction burns.
•  Sydney recorded Ozone levels above the national standards on five days – the highest readings were in Western Sydney during very hot conditions on 31 January and 23 November, when temperatures soared to 45.3 degrees in Richmond. 
• The year’s highest daily particle pollution average (PM₁₀) for the state was recorded in Albury on 13 February during the Victorian bushfires – more than three times higher than the national standard.
•  Wagga Wagga recorded the most days (13) above the national standard for PM₁₀.

 The full 2014 summary report is available at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/aqms/150004nswairqual14.htm

 NSW Air Quality data is obtained from 43 monitoring stations across NSW. All stations measure PM₁₀ and many also record finer PM_2.5 particles. Stations in Sydney, the Illawarra and Lower Hunter also monitor Visibility and Ozone – which can reach high levels in the Sydney Basin in particular during hot days in summer,

That information is compiled into the easy to read NSW Air Quality Index on the OEH Home Page. Alerts are triggered when Ozone, Particle or Visibility readings reach Poor.

 The community can also sign up to receive Air Pollution Alerts and next day forecasts via SMS or email, by clicking on www.environment.nsw.gov.au/aqms/subscribe.htm.

Contact: Roger Bell