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Ararat and Stawell are among 49 Victorian centres set to join an Environment Protection Authority project to monitor and report on air quality in regional Victoria.

The EPA Victoria’s Regional Sensor Pilot Project monitors and publicly reports on the levels of fine particles – PM2.5 – in the air from sources such as smoke.  

Hourly air-quality categories from each sensor, indicating the level of smoke and other fine particles in the town, will be available through EPA’s AirWatch website from this month.

EPA chief executive Lee Miezis said bushfires last year revealed how much the community wanted information to protect their health, particularly from smoke. 

“The sensor network will give a real-time indication of the air quality in regional areas,” he said.

“This is the largest air-sensor network program we have undertaken. This pilot project will help us determine how a sensor network can improve our air-monitoring coverage across Victoria before we consider a permanent arrangement.”

Mr Miezis said the roll-out complemented 41 existing monitoring sites across Melbourne, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley, as well as a Victoria State Emergency Service community smoke-monitoring program and EPA’s incident air-monitoring capacity.

Most of the new sensors are at VICSES sites, building on relationships established through the community smoke-monitoring project.

Sensors are also at some Country Fire Authority sites, councils and educational institutions. 

Funding for the program came via a partnership between EPA and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

EPA acting chief environmental scientist Dr Carolyn Brumley said Victorian air quality was ‘generally very good’ but there were times when airborne pollutants could reduce that quality. 

This was usually due to smoke from summer bushfires and wood-burning heaters in winter. 

“EPA is able to accurately predict air quality through a range of tools including weather forecasting and smoke modelling, but projects like this will provide valuable on-the-ground information,” Dr Brumley said.

Regional sensor network locations: Ararat, Bacchus Marsh, Bairnsdale, Beechworth, Benalla, Bright, Broadford, Camperdown, Castlemaine, Chiltern, Cobden, Colac, Daylesford-Hepburn Springs, Drysdale-Clifton Springs, East Warburton, Gisborne, Hamilton, Heathcote, Heywood, Kerang, Kinglake, Kyneton, Lakes Entrance, Lancefield, Leongatha, Lorne, Macedon, Maffra, Mallacoota, Mansfield, Myrtleford, Orbost, Ouyen, Portland, Rutherglen, Sale, Seville, Shepparton-Mooroopna, Stawell, Sunbury, Swan Hill, Torquay-Jan Juc, Wallan, Warburton, Warragul, Wodonga, Wonthaggi, Yarra Glen and Yarrawonga.