Tuesday, 15 August 2023

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (14:43): (266) My question is for the Minister for Environment. Despite being a small proportion of Melbourne’s heaters, wood heaters contribute around half of Melbourne’s PM2.5 fine particle air pollution. The fine particles from wood smoke enter the lungs, where they can cause asthma, and are absorbed into the blood, where they can cause heart attacks and strokes. Walking around inner-city Brunswick on cold winter mornings, you can smell the smoke from wood heaters in many streets, and in some streets the air is difficult to breathe. Wood heaters are driving demand for the illegal firewood harvesting that Parks Victoria recently reported to be increasing. Following the welcome announcement that the government will end new home gas connections from next year, does the government plan any action to limit the impact of wood heaters, which are as bad for the climate – and worse for the lungs – as gas heaters?