Diesel emissions from big tourist buses passing through the historic Hobart suburb of Battery Point will soon be put under the microscope by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Concerned residents, led by the Battery Point Community Association, presented a petition to the City of Hobart in September calling for the buses they claimed were ‘impacting their health’ and the ‘historic fabric’ of the suburb to be banned.
“It is requested that the Hobart City Council ban all diesel tourist buses and those with a carrying capacity greater than twenty people from travelling through the historic suburb of Battery Point,” the petition read.
At Monday night’s meeting, council staffers said while they cannot simply ban specific vehicles from the area, they can call in the EPA to conduct air quality testing and share the results with the community.
They also “noted” the advice of ‘engaging with tourist bus operators to determine appropriate behaviour, frequency and route choice to manage their impacts on the precinct’.
Councillor Ryan Posselt suggested local residents could make the route “unattractive” to tourist bus operators by campaigning to convert Hampden Road into a one-way street.
“I would put it to the residents of BP who are concerned about this matter that a single direction of Hampden Road will assist them greatly in achieving their desired outcome of preventing busses from using this route,” Posselt said.
“It will become a lot more unattractive to bus operators if they have to negotiate a one-way street that flows in the opposite direction to what they currently use.”
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said “diesel and very fine particulates are incredibly toxic and [are] a very significant air pollution problem right around the world.”
“I appreciate that the Battery Point residents are coming from a vision of wanting Battery Point to be the very best practice tourism destination that it can be,” Reynolds said.
“And so it is not just about diesel fumes, but also about trying to get more tourists to actually … [not] go through in big buses [but] to actually stop and walk around the suburb – which is a really good vision.”
“So I hope we can keep working with them on promoting that vision and working with tourists bus operators.”
Multiple operators run services through Battery Point, including the Hobart Red Decker tourist bus which includes 3 stops in the suburb several times a day, and Grayline coaches.
