Residents have written to the Port of Melbourne Corporation, and have contacted the Environment Protection Authority, in the wake of controversy surrounding the moving of Sydney's cruise ship terminal to White Bay, near Balmain.

There, residents say they have been suffering serious health problems since a new cruise ship terminal moved from Barangaroo in 2013.

In Port Melbourne, the president of the local Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association, former state MP Eddie Micallef, has written to the head of the port corporation to notify him that some residents believe their health is being badly affected by ship emissions.

"Our residents have every right to have their concerns investigated," Mr Micallef said on Tuesday.

The residents group wants to know whether ships at Station Pier could avoid running their diesel engines constantly by accessing on-shore electrical power.

Cruise liners must keep their engines running and releasing emissions while berthed at terminals that lack an on-shore power source.

Port of Melbourne Corporation chief executive Nick Easy has confirmed that the 50-odd cruise vessels that dock at Station Pier each year "utilise their own power at the berth", meaning they burn fuel while they are docked.

Mr Easy said that air quality standards in Victoria were regulated by the Environment Protection Authority.

"Some residents in the local area have raised the issue of air quality with the Port of Melbourne Corporation directly and this matter will be considered and discussed with the [EPA]," Mr Easy told Fairfax Media.

The head of the EPA, Nial Finegan, said his authority was aware of "general community concerns relating" to emissions from ships, and that they should be included in an upcoming national Clean Air Agreement.

Residents at Beacon Cove have been concerned from emissions from both international ships docking at Station Pier, and the daily arrival and departure of the Spirit of Tasmania.

The Spirit of Tasmania's communications manager, Soniya Cooper, said that the vessels used a marine fuel oil that was of "an internationally accepted standard, within required and regulated parameters".

The use of poor quality diesel fuel – also known as "bunker fuel" – sprung to national prominence last week after rebel federal government MP Andrew Laming was kicked out of Parliament for 24 hours for bringing bunker fuel into the chamber and pouring it on his hands to show how dirty it was.

Last Tuesday night, Dr Laming gave a speech in Parliament's Federation Chamber calling for the cruise liner industry to use low sulphur fuels to prevent sulphur dioxide emissions in residential areas.