$15 million sanctioned for replacement of school gas heaters not enough say organizations

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJun 9 2010

Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

The State Government of NSW has decided upon a $15 million replacement of nearly 100 school gas heaters especially targeting cold climate areas of NSW. The New South Wales Teachers Federation said in a statement that they will be urging the government to expand the programme to other areas replacing the unflued gas heaters in schools.

There are 50,000 low-emission unflued gas heaters in NSW public schools as well as 5,000 older high-emission unflued gas heaters, which are being phased out. The heaters emit chemical fumes like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, which have been linked to respiratory illnesses and asthma. These have been banned or phased out in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT. New South Wales is the only state to allow unflued heaters in its schools. Earlier tests carried out at Blackheath Public School by the CSIRO found that the heaters exceeded World Health Organization guidelines on the fumes they emitted.

The federation's Hunter organizer, Fred Dumbrell said that this campaign of the union for replacement of these heaters to prevent respiratory ailments in students and children has been going on for years now. “Well definitely the high rates of breathing difficulties caused by these heaters and the fact that it [has] taken a concerted campaign by many parents to have this action taken, I think they should feel very pleased but it shouldn't have taken anything like this long,” he said.

The government in its replacement plan also includes an independent look into the actual health hazards posed by these heaters. The state government says that this replacement plan is not an acceptance of the fact that these heaters are harmful. There is a $2 million study to look into the heaters from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research she said.

The $15 million funding was announced by Education Minister, Verity Firth yesterday. She explained that low-emission heaters were safe if there was adequate ventilation and the units were properly maintained. She feels the need for the funding is more in colder areas. She explained that replacement of all heaters would cost up to $400 million, money that can build 20 new schools. This has been a success of the six year long campaign from the parents and the Asthma Foundation she said. “This decision today is more about those specific cold-climate schools where the local community believe and the stakeholders believe that under the current evidence they're not necessarily getting the ventilation they need…It's not the Health Department telling us to do this,” she said. She also suspended installation of low-emission units last month, pending the outcome of the Woolcock study.

Jo Keown, president of the Hazelbrook Public School Parents & Citizens Association and an executive member of the Campaign Opposing Unflued Gas Heaters (COUGH) applauded the move citing people power behind the success. The Greens MP John Kaye pointed out that actually only 3.8 percent heaters would be replaced. He also criticized the fact that the new heaters will come in only next winter. He said, “This winter no school will experience any relief from the fumes and the asthma attacks and other diseases these heaters cause,” he said.