A new digital dashboard from North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) will provide real-time air quality information for Mackay Marina and McEwens Beach.
NQBP senior manager environment and planning, Kevin Kane, said the initiative was part of the ports’ long-term commitment to sharing its environmental data.
“We collect a wealth of information that contributes to broader research outcomes,” Mr Kane said.
“We also wanted the data to be accessible to everyone in a format that’s useful day-to-day.”
The dashboard currently displays live readings of dust levels at sites around NQBP’s east coast ports.
A live Bureau of Meteorology feed also shows wind conditions at each location.
“The dashboard uses visual elements to bring the numbers to life and to help make them easy to understand,” Mr Kane said.
“It also has a dial that offers a quick gauge of real-time air quality.”
The dashboard provides basic explanations and guidance on where to go for more information.
For those who want to dive into the detail, you can also download daily validated readings for the previous year.
“We are now looking at ways to provide similar dashboards for a variety of our other monitoring programs,” Mr Kane said.
