Heater replacement funding falters

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDAug 12 2010

Education Minister Verity Firth promised parents two weeks ago that 55,000 unflued gas heaters in the state's schools that could result in respiratory problems for children would be replaced. However the Government was unable to find $400 million for the project and parents and students need to wait before the heaters are actually replaced. The plan is now to take up a 10-year replacement program.

Ms Firth’s announcement came after medical research from Woolcock Institute found the heaters caused a small increase in coughing and wheezing in children and may emit nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde. She faced a chiding of sorts from both Premier Kristina Keneally and Treasurer Eric Roozendaal for promising to spend up to $400 million without approval. Failing to come up with funding ideas she released a list of just 101 schools which will have 2,738 unflued low-toxicity gas heaters replaced by next winter at a cost of $15 million. The schools were chosen based on Bureau of Meteorology data, with students in colder climates at most risk.

Acting Premier Carmel Tebbutt reassured parents concerned about the delay, saying a plan would be brought to cabinet “in the very near future”. “We've always made it clear that our priority is for students in the coldest climates because it is much more difficult for those schools to comply with the operating requirements…The minister will bring forward a proposal to cabinet with the timeframe and I expect that will be coming in the very near future,” she said.

Meanwhile Community group Campaign Opposing Unflued Gas Heating (COUGH) accused the government not taking steps to implement the announcement. Spokesman Richard Kalina said, “Thousands of children living in very cold parts of the state may have their health compromised by the failure of the NSW government to remove unflued gas heaters from all schools…Why is cabinet continuing to sit on announcing the timeline for a statewide removal?”

Opposition education spokesman Adrian Piccoli said, “I don't think anybody could have believed they had a complete plan to take to cabinet, and that's proved to be exactly the case…Kristina Keneally and the education minister promised they would have a plan to replace all of these unflued gas heaters…Clearly today's announcement of 101 schools is nowhere near the promise they made two weeks ago.”