There is more and more evidence emerging of the harm caused to human health by coal and gas mining. The Senate Community Affairs Committee is currently investigating the impacts on health of air quality in Australia, including:

(a) particulate matter, its sources and effects;

(b) those populations most at risk and the causes that put those populations at risk;

(c) the standards, monitoring and regulation of air quality at all levels of government; and

(d) any other related matters.

If you have experienced negative health outcomes from pollution related to coal or gas mining, or you are concerned about the risks, you have an opportunity to tell the Committee about it by the 8th March. 

How to make a submission

Email your comments to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au. The Senate Committee requires that submissions are attached to the email as either a PDF or Word Document. The Committee also requires that you include your name, contact details and full address. Be sure to note in your email if you would like your submission to be kept confidential. 

In addition to any comments regarding your experience or expertise on the matter of health pollution related to coal or gas mining, some points you might like to make in your submission are:

1. State planning processes should require proper health impact assessments before coal and gas mining is approved.
2. There should be mandatory baseline air quality monitoring and on-going monitoring of both particulate matter and other potentially dangerous substances during coal and gas mining.
3. Standards in the National Environment Protection Measures (NEPM) should be improved - standards on particulates should match those set by the World Health Organisation and standards should be introduced for emissions from gas production.
4. The Federal Government should introduce changes to enforce compliance with NEPM, possibly through their inclusion in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

If you live in the Hunter Valley, Queensland coalfields, or the Tara estate or other gasfield areas, use your submission to invite the Committee out to have a public hearing in your area so they can hear about the impacts first-hand.

Remember, submissions are due by this Friday the 8th March.