Deputy mayor Dorothy Robinson has insisted she never linked Armidale’s child mortality rate to the city’s woodsmoke pollution.
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Since Cr Robinson asked a question at a council meeting in April, there has been outrage in parts of the community, a call from Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall for her to apologise, a council-instigated review, and finally an apology from mayor Simon Murray.
But now Cr Robinson is saying everyone misunderstood her original remarks.
“I asked questions about our failure to meet National Air Quality standards, and having the highest child mortality rate in NSW, in response to a council report on risk management,” Cr Robinson told The Armidale Express. “The video record confirms I did not speculate on any connections between the two.”
Cr Robinson’s exact words in April were: “In terms of risk management, I just wondered if the management could consider the potential risks from not meeting national air quality standards, and also having the highest child mortality rates in NSW.”
While she stood by her comments in the face of criticism previously, Cr Robinson is now adamant that she was not linking the two issues.
Despite the denial, in her statement to The Express on Friday, Cr Robinson then went on to speculate that woodsmoke is a health threat to young children.
“According to UNICEF ‘air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under age five, every year and threatens the health, lives and futures of millions more’,” Cr Robinson said.
“In developing countries when families cook with wood, air pollution air is a major risk factor, but outdoor pollution in developed countries at the levels experienced in Armidale also significantly increases the risk - see woodsmoke.3sc.net/children for links to the evidence.”
She said NSW Government monitoring shows Armidale's wintertime particulate pollution is double that of Singleton in the Hunter Valley.
“On occasions, we've reached the hazardous classification. A parliamentary question submitted by MP Jeremy Buckingham asks for urgent consideration to extending the wood heater rebates in Muswellbrook and Singleton to Armidale.”
A review was ordered by Armidale Regional Council following Cr Robinson’s question at the April meeting.
This week University of New England Rural Medicine head of school Geetha Ranmuthugala, who completed the review, cautioned the community on attributing the child mortality rate in Armidale with air quality.
Professor Ranmuthugala said there was insufficient information at present to support a causal association between wood fire smoke and child mortality in Armidale.
“Further investigation is required to investigate this association,” she said.
On Friday, Cr Robinson said Armidale Regional Council should heed the UNE report calling for further investigation.
“Once we know the true cost of our high levels of air pollution, council will be able to develop policies that are in the best interest of the health and welfare of our entire community.”
