The latest round of extraordinary but credible research has revealed that dementia is more common in people who live near main roads, Researchers tracked nearly seven million million people in Canada, over a decade and found a 7 per cent higher risk of developing dementia among those living within 50 metres of a main road but no increase in risk among those living more than 200 metres away.
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The researchers are clear the figures only highlight an association.Other links between cardiovascular problems, socio-economic and other factors still have weight in the investigation into dementia. But it does raise further questions about impacts of traffic pollution on people's health.
As a national health issue the numbers are serious. Three in 10 Australians over the age of 85 and one in 10 over 65 have dementia.
Past researchers have linked air pollution and traffic noise to reduced brain matter but this is the first study to investigate the connection between living near heavy traffic and the onset of major neurodegenerative diseases.
All this is good news for most Ballarat residents where our definition of a main road is considerably different from the truck-choked passages through Yarraville or the fuming car-park that is Punt Road. Maybe it even confirms an age old suspicion of many people that the “fresh air” of the country is likely to be a lot better for long-term health.
But if this connection between road pollution and public health is substantiated by more research, it also shows the vital need for long term investment in reducing traffic pollution. Part of that puts an imperative on alternative transport to reduce toxic emissions but also puts an even larger stress on the efficiency of shared or public transport as cities and populations grow.
Again while the advantage of a cleaner environment clearly falls to regional cities over a large metropolis and is another lifestyle win for families or individuals who chose to make Ballarat their home, it does not obviate the need for long term thinking.
Congestion is, relatively speaking, largely non-existent here and despite the moaning, parking is still plentiful. All of which lends itself to Ballarat being a predominantly car driven town. But what does this mean after 30 or even 50 more years of growth? All this lends an interesting dimension to the current discussion about public transport in Ballarat and puts still more pressure on proper planning.
