Wood heaters left to smoulder under Labor. 

Here’s what we know: 

• Research shows up to 63 Canberrans die prematurely every year because of wood heater smoke.¹
• There are no safe levels of PM2.5 pollution from wood heaters.²
• Woodfire heaters causes breathing difficulties and makes it worse for people with lung conditions.³

• 65,000 Canberrans are living with a lung condition⁴

But Labor doesn’t want to look at the evidence, and they don’t want Canberrans to either. 

We called on the government to 

• Commence public consultation and finalise a plan to phase out wood heaters in the ACT by 2045. 
• Establish a wood heater register. 
• Investigate the following: 
  • The cost of wood heater smoke on the ACT’s public health system. 
  • Better methods for the EPA to determine environmental harm or nuisance from wood heater smoke. 
  • The accuracy of low-cost air quality monitors. 

Not only did they not support these moves, but they backtracked on the 2045 phase out date.  

That’s despite ACT Government media release, press engagements and funding secured in previous budgets by former government Ministers. 

So, we need your help to tell Labor to once again commit to a phase out date and to start planning how we will get there. 

TELL LABOR TO TAKE NO STEPS BACKWARDS ON WOOD HEATERS.

Will you add your voice and email the Environment Minister, Suzanne Orr, imploring her to use her powers to reinstate the wood heater phase out date?  

EMAIL THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

Further Reading

•  2023 ACT State of the Environment Report
• Breathe easy with wood heater phase out - University of Canberra ¹
• ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment's Investigation into Woodfire Heaters ²
• Asthma Australia - Air Quality
• Asthma Australia - Smoke: bushfires, woodfires and wood heaters ³
• Lung Foundation
• Lung Foundation - ACT Health Profile ⁴
• ACT Government Wood Heaters Replacement Scheme