ON October 11, NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker announced more than $1 million funding for councils to create wood smoke reduction initiatives in a bid to cut pollution and minimise health risks to the community.
In the government’s media release it refers directly to wood smoke from home heating in tablelands communities, and a health cost of $8.1 billion over the next 20 years.
I’d like to call for Orange City Council to obtain some of this state government money to give homeowners an incentive to remove wood heaters.
In addition, the state government should change the current standard of emissions from wood heaters from 4gm/kg to the New Zealand standard of 1.5gm/kg.
Kevin Parton, Leeds Parade, Orange