Concerns have been raised about Orange's air quality as a drop in temperature signals a rise in pollution.
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Lisa Cunial woke on the morning of June 11 to see the amount of pollution being breathed in around town was more than any other location spanning from Bathurst to Cowra and out to Dubbo, according to the NSW Government's air quality tracking system.
The figures showed pollution was most prevalent - although still at the second lowest rating of 'fair' - between the morning peak travel hours of 7am and 9am.
"Every kid in Orange goes to school at 8am when air pollution is unhealthy in Orange," Ms Cunial said.
"I'm just concerned for anyone in Orange who is a child, who exercises before and after work."
Multiple hours of 'fair' readings were also noted on the mornings or overnight on June 5, May 30, May 29, May 27, May 26 and May 25 in the past few weeks.
For reference, the total amount of 'fair' hours recorded in Bathurst since May 17 was equal to the amount Orange experienced on the morning on June 11 alone.
![Lisa Cunial is concerned about the air quality in Orange which she believes is brought about by an increased use of wood fire heaters in winter. Picture by Jude Keogh Lisa Cunial is concerned about the air quality in Orange which she believes is brought about by an increased use of wood fire heaters in winter. Picture by Jude Keogh](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/c4310843-552c-4457-acc9-4bf5e4fb634d.JPG/r0_771_8256_5431_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's not like we're snowflakes," Ms Cunial added.
Having grown up in Nashdale, she did not experience the type of air pollution that comes with living in a more densely populated area.
But in the 20 years since moving back to Orange - and especially after the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 - Ms Cunial has changed the way she goes about her daily routine.
"The air quality in Orange in winter is quite bad so I have to change when I go for walks," she said.
"I have to educate my kids on when to open windows because the air quality in Orange is so bad. I've lived here for many years and most residents, if they have lungs, will tell you that they're affected by it."
One of the major reasons Ms Cunial believes Orange's air pollution is worse than towns around it on average, is due to wood burning heaters.
![Lisa Cunial. Picture by Jude Keogh Lisa Cunial. Picture by Jude Keogh](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/0580f858-5fe2-4988-8ec9-19740bc3b42a.JPG/r0_752_8256_5412_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
According to NSW health, wood heaters are a major contributor to air pollution in NSW.
Short-term exposures can aggravate asthma or worsen pre-existing heart conditions while long-term exposure can cause heart and lung disease. They also affects the air quality inside a home and the surrounding environment.
Ms Cunial believed Orange was a tricky town to combat the issue, with it being cold enough to require regular heating in winter, but not hot enough in summer for everyone to justify getting an air conditioner.
"All it's doing is pumping pollution into the air," she added.
"I'm lucky that I can work from home because If I had to get up, get going, go to work, I would not be able to function in Orange. I'd have to leave."
She hopes that by speaking out, people in town will think twice about when and how they use items which contribute to poor air quality, such as wood heaters.