WOOD heaters could be banned across the city after smoke pollution exceeded national health standards in 13 out of 14 days monitored.
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“We can’t go on living in this filthy air now Armidale’s ‘dirty little secret’ is out,” Armidale Dumaresq councillor Margaret O’Connor said.
Along with Peter O’Donohue, she is leading the charge to ban all wood heaters across Armidale by 2030.
The councillors want to ban wood heaters installed in all new homes and also ban the installation of any new wood heater.
Their recommendations followed a meeting of the environmental sustainability committee and were discussed at last Monday’s Council meeting.
Cr Donohue said: “Pollution from wood heaters continues to be a problem for Armidale, causing respiratory, heart and childhood health problems.
“We need to adapt, modify and transition away from this form of heating.”
A dust monitor has found Armidale exceeded national environmental advisory standards in 13 out of 14 days monitored.
Council subsequently implemented a policy determining its preferred wood heaters for installation in Armidale and surrounding districts.
It is estimated a third of homes in the Armidale area use wood for heating.
Cr O’Donohue said just 15 per cent of households with wood heaters caused 85 per cent of the problem.
But several councillors urged more consideration before banning the heaters in 2030.
“There are more than 5000 wood heaters in the district and many resident are wedded to them,” Jim Maher said.“
”They are a sustainable source of heating; what will we replace these wood heaters with?”Rob Richardson agreed.
“A ban is too radical, what we should be looking at are heaters with a low particulants rate,” he said.
Ultimately, councillors decided to prepare a discussion paper on the recommendations and seek input from the community.
But they noted the consultation period should be completed by September next year, when the NSW government is due to introduce new clean air regulations.
Councillors also noted a new, merged council with surrounding shires would review all polices adopted by the current council