Air emissions
To measure local ambient air quality in the vicinity of White Bay Cruise Terminal, a monitoring station was installed in September 2015 in the streets just above the White Bay terminal in Balmain. The monitoring station records both ambient air quality and weather data to give a clear and accurate picture of the air quality close to White Bay Cruise Terminal.
The data is analysed and an interpretive report is prepared each month and posted, providing useful information not only for the Port Authority and our consultants but also for any others who wish to be informed about the ambient air quality in Balmain.
Results of monthly air quality monitoring for September and October 2015 show significantly lower sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels following the commencement of use of low-sulfur fuel by cruise ships whilst at berth in Sydney Harbour, on 1 October 2015.
The 24-hour average concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5microns diameter (PM2.5) are consistently lower than the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (AAQ NEPM) standard, with levels measured at Balmain fluctuating similarly to levels measured at Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) reference sites, whether or not a cruise ship was at berth, indicating that cruise ships have little effect on local ambientPM2.5 concentrations.
* As of March 2022, air quality monitoring at White Bay has temporarily paused whilst changes to the monitoring instrumentation are implemented. Port Authority is seeking input from relevant agencies regarding the future requirements for monitoring. When the system resumes operation, further information will be made available here.
Download monthly air quality reports and access air quality monitoring data.
