Industry has invested heavily in dust mitigation measures for more than 10 years and is committed to achieving a net zero increase in emissions as exports through the Port increase.
This has resulted in dust readings initially falling and then remaining steady, while throughput at the Port has tripled.
Industry recognises it contributes to dust in Port Hedland, but it is not the only source of dust in what is a semi-arid environment.
There are many contributing factors to dust in Port Hedland, including natural bushfires, port activities, light industrial areas, urban activities and prevailing wind patterns.
Not all of these can be controlled by industry. Nevertheless, industry is committed to implementing leading dust suppression methods.
The clear intent of the State Government’s response to the 2016 Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce Report – released in October 2018 – was that while air quality guidelines and dust management activities are an appropriate response to managing dust emissions, other non-regulatory measures were also required including town planning amendments, town greening initiatives and more health education.