Air Quality

MANAGING DUST IS A KEY FOCUS

Port Waratah understands that, if not managed appropriately, our operations have the potential to generate dust and negatively impact our community. We are committed to continuously improving our control techniques, processes and systems.

Our control techniques, processes and systems are world class

Monitoring air quality and acting responsibly is critical to our operations. Our control techniques, processes and systems are world class, designed to minimise the potential for dust creation, and where possible, eliminate negative impacts. Port Waratah is committed to delaying, or if required, ceasing operations in adverse conditions.

Our dust management performance was good in 2023, with Port Waratah’s air quality monitoring results were all within compliance limits. Seasonal region-based air quality monitoring reports for 2022-23, which are collated by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, indicate that air quality in the Newcastle region reported particulate levels within the national benchmarks for the majority of the year. Following the annual patten, particulate levels were at times higher in summer.

A staged programme of drainage improvements and additional sealing of surfaces at the Kooragang Terminal continued in 2023. Approximately 4500m2 of previously unsealed surface was converted to asphalt at a total investment cost of $460,000.