The Minister for the Environment, Mick Gentleman and Minister for Climate Change, Shane Rattenbury have urged Canberra’s homeowners to use their wood heaters carefully in the coming winter months or switch to more sustainable alternatives.
Mr Gentleman said that while by national standards Canberra’s air quality ranked highly, smoke from domestic wood heaters remained the largest source of air pollution in the Territory.
“Canberrans can look after our local environment and reduce wood smoke pollution by burning right tonight,” Mr Gentleman said.
“As the temperature drops, the ACT Government is reminding Canberrans about the effective use of wood heaters to minimise pollution and help protect residents from harmful health impacts.”
He said the Burn Right Tonight campaign would help make people more aware of the effects of wood smoke so they could use their wood heaters more effectively or replace them.
Mr Gentleman said there were great incentives for residents to replace their wood heater with more environmentally friendly alternatives such as electric systems.
He said those who wished to simply remove their wood heater could expect to receive a rebate of $100.
Mr Rattenbury said the wood heater replacement program, along with public education campaigns such as Burn Right Tonight, would help reduce winter air pollution from wood smoke.
“The wood heater program removes the cost barriers facing many households to remove these wood-fired heaters from their homes,” Mr Rattenbury said.
