Woodsmoke FAQs

WHAT’S THE ACT GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PHASE OUT WOOD HEATERS IN SUBURBAN CANBERRA?

On 24 August 2023 the ACT Minister for Environment, Rebecca Vassarotti, announced wood heaters will be phased out in suburban Canberra by 2045. She was responding on behalf of the ACT Government to the report, “Can Canberra ‘Burn Right Tonight’ or is there ‘no safe level of air pollution’? The report, by the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr. Sophie Lewis, was tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly in March 2023.

In response the ACT Government has;

Agreed in principle to phase out wood heaters from ACT suburbs through the establishment of a target date for the replacement of wood heaters with electric alternatives in all ACT suburbs (excluding rural areas), as has been done for fossil-fuel gas. This should be supported through accessible financial support for lower income households.

(Clean Air Canberra supports the phasing our of wood heaters in suburban Canberra but believes wood heaters should be phased out much earlier than 2045)

Agreed in principle to ban the installation of new wood heaters in all ACT suburbs (excluding rural areas), for both new and existing builds.

(Clean Air Canberra supports extending the ban on the installation of wood heaters in all new homes and residential developments in suburban Canberra but is concerned existing bans are not being enforced.)

Not agreed to establish a register of wood heaters in the ACT to determine the number and age of wood heaters.

(Clean Air Canberra supports the introduction of a register of all wood heaters in suburban Canberra. Clean Air Canberra believes this will assist the ACT Government in properly determining how many wood heaters there are, how old they are and if they meet any or current emissions standards. A register will also assist the ACT Government in directly communicating with wood heater owners during education and energy/heating transition campaigns and buyback schemes)

Noted the recommendation to mandate the removal of wood heaters before a property in any ACT suburb (excluding rural areas) can be sold.

(Clean Air Canberra believes mandating the removal of wood heaters before a property is sold in suburban Canberra will help to speed up the phasing out process. As part of the program, the ACT Government can then offer the new owners part or full financial assistance to replace the wood heater with a healthier, cleaner, cheaper and more efficient form of home heating.)

Not agreed to the introduction of mandatory labelling explaining the health risks associated with wood heater usage at point of sale for both wood heaters and firewood in ACT.

(Clean Air Canberra supports the introduction of health warnings on wood heaters. Such warnings are commonplace on everyday products that are known, or have been found, to cause injury, harm and impact on our health. Wood heater owners also need to be fully aware of the potential impact their device has on themselves, their family and their neighbours.)

Agreed to include explicit messaging about the health risks associated with wood heater usage in ACT Government education and communication activities (e.g. Burn Right Tonight program).

(Clean Air Canberra firmly believes it is the responsibility of the ACT Government to inform and educate the Canberra community about the serious health impact of wood heaters, not only for those who live with a wood heater, but also those who live in neighbourhoods filled with residential wood smoke pollution.)

Not agreed to develop and apply empirical criteria for determining environmental harm or nuisance from wood heater smoke, such as assessment of smoke composition and air quality monitoring at the affected sites, as part of EPA investigations.

(Clean Air Canberra believes it is essential ACT Government officers are fully equipped to be able to properly record and determine the full impact of smoke from a wood heater when responding to complaints. It is no good just to rely on the visual impact.)

Agreed and completed its responses to the 2019 State of the Environment Report’s recommendations 21 and 22:

21 Increase the number of National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure compliance monitoring stations, and

22 Urgently undertake an assessment of air pollutant emissions from diffuse sources to update the National Pollutant Inventory data (1999)

See the full response here.

Phasing out wood heaters to pave the way for cleaner air (Video)

DOES THE ACT GOVERNMENT’S PLANS TO PHASE OUT WOOD HEATERS INCLUDE THE WHOLE OF THE ACT?

No! Despite some claims, the ACT Government’s decision to phase out wood heaters by 2045 only applies to suburban Canberra and NOT rural areas of the Australian Capital Territory.

WHY SHOULD I BE SO CONCERNED ABOUT WOOD HEATERS AND WOODSMOKE IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD?

Residential wood smoke pollution has a serious impact on our health and can lead to hospitalisation for those with a pre-existing health condition and even death. A 2023 study by Australian National University researchers found smoke from wood heaters was responsible for as many as 63 deaths per year in the Australian Capital Territory. The study also found the estimated annual equivalent cost of these deaths is between $57 and $333 million, highlighting both the health and economic consequences of wood heater use in Canberra. (Watch the video here)

A 2022 study by the NSW Government found wood heaters were the largest source of air pollution in Greater Sydney. It reported 269 premature deaths in residents of Greater Sydney from wood heater pollution, corresponding 3,279 lost years of life, an average of 12.2 lost years of life per premature death (See page 4) . In 2021 The Medical Journal of Australia reported a study by Dorothy L Robinson, Joshua A Horsley, Fay H. Johnston and Geoffrey G Morgan found that in Armidale NSW, a city of 24,504 people, 14 premature deaths per year are attributable to air pollution from wood heaters. This corresponds to 210 lost years of life, at an estimated cost of $10,930 per heater per year. The CSIRO listed Armidale as one of the most polluted residential areas in Australia along with Canberra’s Tuggeranong Valley and Launceston Tasmania. (Listen to MJA Podcast). The Health Promotion Journal of Australia has estimated that one slow combustion wood heater adds over $8-thousand dollars to the ACT’s annual health bill. This is a serious problem in Canberra where wood heaters, many of which are old and do not comply with past or current emissions standards, are responsible for the majority of our particle air pollution and many suburbs are known wood smoke hotspots.

Residential wood smoke comes from a number of sources, outdoor fire pits, barbeques, pizza ovens and meat smokers. Evidence shows that in Canberra the largest source of air pollution are slow combustion wood heaters. They are responsible for 67% of our air pollution compared to motor vehicles which are responsible for just 10%. The ACT Government’s own figures show air pollution increases three-fold in the cooler months of the year and it attributes it to the use of wood heaters. Environmental health and medical experts warn smoke from a wood-burning heater is a complex mixture of particles and gases that can seriously affect your health. They warn the health of those who live with a wood heater in their home can be affected just as much as those who live with one in their neighbourhood. Quite simply, if you can smell wood smoke in your neighbourhood you are being exposed to toxic gases and may be at risk of adverse health effects. In a Position Paper released in 2022, the Cancer Council ACT recommended people avoid burning wood and substitute wood burning heaters for alternative, cleaner sources of heating to reduce air pollution and their risk of cancer. The Heart Foundation also acknowledges the strong research evidence indicating exposure to air pollution, including wood fire smoke, is detrimental to cardiovascular health, particularly for people living with cardiovascular disease.

There is little you can do to protect yourself from being exposed to smoke from a neighbouring wood heater and its health impacts. This was confirmed in 2021 by an an Asthma Australia survey of 25 thousand people which found only 28% of the general population and 18% of people with asthma said they are able to protect themselves from wood heater smoke when present and people with asthma reported they were twice as likely to get respiratory symptoms when wood heater smoke was in the air. In August 2021 the Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR) released a position paper on reducing the health impacts of wood heaters in Australia and the policy implications. Its key points were;

Wood heater smoke significantly contributes to air pollution. Wood heater smoke can impact the health of people who often have no means of controlling their exposure.
Wood heater emission and efficiency standards have tightened in recent years, but by themselves are very unlikely to reduce the smoke-related health impacts of wood heaters. Moreover, local councils cannot always ensure compliance with existing regulations relating to smoke emissions from individual chimneys.

It is well documented that wood smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and a range of other organic compounds like formaldehyde, benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. (See Chemical Table). Medical and environmental health experts say there is no safe level of air pollution. They warn these fine air particles penetrate deep into your lungs and long-term exposure increases the risk of developing heart and lung diseases including cancer. They also warn short-term exposure to high levels of residential wood smoke pollution may cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, trigger asthma attacks and worsen other pre-existing health problems like heart disease. Children, whose lungs are still developing, the elderly and people with pre-existing heart or lung conditions like angina, asthma or emphysema (COPD) are most likely to be affected by residential wood smoke pollution (Watch Video).

The environmental and health impacts from wood heaters has been well documented and known for decades. As long ago as April 1991 the ACT Government’s own Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment warned in its discussion paper, The Burning Question, (Page 4) “That a potential health risk of pollutant emissions by solid fuel heaters is intensified by their near ground level release from the suburban household chimney, and a lack of control existing over their contribution to fine particle pollution has implications for public health.” In the Fuelwood Heating Report (Page 2) released in September the same year the committee said, “It is clear to the committee that the extent of fuel wood heating in the ACT, coupled with poor heater operating practices and local weather conditions leads to significant levels of air pollution which causes physical discomfort for many residents, and in some cases, exacerbates health problems.” In a media release dated 6 May 2003, the then ACT Chief Minister said, “The problem of air pollution caused by wood fires has been ignored for too long.” Despite all the evidence that wood heaters pollute and impact on our health, environmental health and medical experts claim industry continues to mislead the public and impeded health regulations.

Note: There are more than 20 private air monitors in Canberra measuring air quality in our neighbourhoods in real time. You can see what air pollution is like now in your local area here. (Click on a coloured circle nearest to your neighbourhood to get a more detailed localised reading of air pollution in your area.) For more information visit;

Wood burning industry tactics

Wood heaters Damaging to our Lungs (Video ABC News)

The Hidden Harms of Woodsmoke (Video, The Environment Centre)

Health Hazards of Woodsmoke Pollution (Video, Families for Clean Air)

Asthma Australia

Medical Journal of Australia

Clean Air Better Health

American Lung Association

Doctors and Scientists Against Woodsmoke Pollution

Families for Clean Air

Mums for Lungs

I USE A WOOD HEATER, SO WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED?

Smoke from slow combustion wood heaters also affects the health of those who use one. This has been demonstrated in studies in Australia and overseas. A UK study in 2020 found people who live with a wood heater were at risk of exposure to high intensities of fine particle air pollution within a short period of time through normal use. A 2023 study by Australian National University researchers found smoke from wood heaters was responsible for as many as 63 deaths per year in the Australian Capital Territory. The study also found the estimated annual equivalent cost of these deaths is between $57 and $333 million, highlighting both the health and economic consequences of wood heater use. A 2022 study by the NSW Government found wood heaters were the largest source of air pollution in Greater Sydney. It reported 269 premature deaths in residents of Greater Sydney from wood heater pollution, corresponding 3,279 lost years of life, an average of 12.2 lost years of life per premature death. In 2021 The Medical Journal of Australia reported a study by Dorothy L Robinson, Joshua A Horsley, Fay H. Johnston and Geoffrey G Morgan found that in Armidale NSW, a city of 24,504 people, 14 premature deaths per year are attributable to air pollution from wood heaters. This corresponds to 210 lost years of life, at an estimated cost of $10,930 per heater per year. Your neighbours are impacted by your wood smoke pollution but may be reluctant to complain. They suffer in silence because they don’t want a neighbourhood dispute. Before you fire up your wood heater consider the evidence that clearly shows it has an impact on your health, that of your family and your neighbours.

David’s war with bureaucracy in battle to breathe

WHAT’S IN RESIDENTIAL WOODSMOKE THAT MAKES IT SO HAZARDOUS TO MY HEALTH?

Residential woodsmoke is a cauldron of toxic chemical compounds. Among others it includes;

Carbon monoxide (a tasteless, odourless gas poisonous to humans)
Formaldehyde (a known cancer-causing substance used in adhesives and for the preservation of bodies)
Benzene (a known cancer-causing substance linked to leukemia and cancers of other blood cells)
Napthalene (an insecticide)
Touene (an industrial strength solvent)
Phenol (irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Long term exposure damages the kidneys and liver)
Pyrene (a known cancer-causing chemical found in dyes, plastics and pesticides)
Dioxins and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (more cancer-causing substances associated with genetic damage in babies)
Dibenz(a,h)anthracene (caused mutations in our DNA)
Organic gases (including aldehyde gases and other respiratory irritants), and
Nitrogen oxides (contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting the ozone layer)

All these chemicals are toxic and can affect you if you are exposed to wood smoke. (See Chemical Table). For more information visit;

Ambient air pollution and epileptic seizures: A panel study in Australia

Doctors and Scientists Against Woodsmoke Pollution

Burning Issues

Harmful impacts of woodsmoke (Video, NSW Environment Protection Authority)

The Hidden Harms of Woodsmoke (Video, The Environment Centre)

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT EMISSIONS ARE COMING FROM WOOD HEATERS AND WHAT’S COMING FROM OTHER SOURCES?

It’s not rocket science. Research has found that a typical petrol-fuelled passenger car emits about 0.01g of fine particle (PM2.5) of air pollution per km, or about 150g if driving 15,000 km per year. Research has also found that if used as the main source of heating, even a new wood heater meeting the latest Australian standards will emit as much fine particle air pollution in a year as 1,049 petrol cars, and an older model as much pollution annually as the exhaust emissions of 1,613 petrol cars. The Department of Environment and Energy’s National Pollution Inventory shows that domestic solid fuel burning is responsible for more than two thirds of particle air pollution in Canberra. The same report shows that motor vehicles are responsible for 10.1% of particle air pollution. The figures for particle pollution therefore support statements by medical and environmental health experts that one wood heater can produce up to seven times as much air pollution as a car. So, if the highest pollution measurements are in Canberra’s residential areas in the cooler months of the year where there are a lot of wood heaters and low traffic levels, there is no doubt about the source of the pollution.

In 2003 twelve popular wood heater models were tested for emissions and design specifications, and a further 35 models tested only for design specifications. The tests, supervised by the Department of Environment and Heritage, found the majority were faulty. Those undergoing emissions testing were found to be 2.5 times more polluting than claimed. even under correct operation. One model, claimed to emit 1.8 grams of particulates per kg of wood burned (g/kg), was found to emit 17.7 g/kg even when operated correctly, and perhaps much more when operated in the home environment with no expert supervision. The final report said the most common engineering design fault was the primary air inlets were smaller than originally specified in design drawings. Despite the Department’s findings, and unlike vehicles that are faulty and polluting, there was no national recall of these wood heaters purchased by consumers. Many are likely to still be in operation today.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMOKE FROM A BUSHFIRE, TOBACCO SMOKE AND SMOKE FROM A WOOD HEATER?

We know that smoke from bushfires and tobacco is just as damaging to your health as smoke from a wood heater. The difference with wood heater smoke is the source is in our neighbourhoods and science shows it is far more dangerous than tobacco smoke. Research by The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) suggests that a single wood heater operating for an hour and burning 4 kilos of wood generates 4,300 times more carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons than a packet of cigarettes. The US EPA estimates the lifetime cancer risk from woodsmoke to be 12 times greater than from a similar amount of cigarette smoke. In a laboratory study at Louisiana State University, researchers found that hazardous free radicals in wood smoke are chemically active 40 times longer than those from cigarette smoke, so once inhaled, they will harm the body for far longer. As individuals we know more about the health impacts of tobacco smoke than we did 30 or 40 years ago because governments took clear and decisive action to educate us to protect our health when the evidence became clear of the harmful health effects of tobacco smoke. Governments introduced tough legislation and fines, banned tobacco advertising and smoking in public places, on public transport and in the workplace. The decisive actions of governments over the decades have resulted in a significant reduction in smoking rates and related deaths.

Smoke from bushfires can also be harmful but they are mostly rare events, they are usually at a distance and may burn for a day or several days at the most. When a bushfire occurs, we can be given advance warning enabling us to take steps to protect ourselves from the impact of bushfire smoke. On the other hand, smoke from a wood heater can be generated within close proximity to you. It can be next door or across the road. The smoke is concentrated, and can be continuous as the wood heater is left to smoulder. It can also be prolonged, lasting for days, weeks and even months. There is little you can do to protect yourself from being exposed to smoke from a neighbouring wood heater and its health impacts. This was confirmed in 2021 by an an Asthma Australia survey of 25 thousand people which found;

Only 28% of the general population and 18% of people with asthma said they are able to protect themselves from wood heater smoke when present.

People with asthma reported they were twice as likely to get respiratory symptoms when wood heater smoke was in the air.

Despite the science and the mountain of evidence that residential woodsmoke is more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke all levels of government appear reluctant to take decisive action to protect your health. This was highlighted in a NSW Government Budget Estimates Hearing on 1 March 2022 when the NSW Environment Minister said ‘there is no appetite to look at wood heaters.’ This is despite the fact wood heaters are the second largest source of air pollution in Sydney and the largest in many cities and towns in that state, such as Armidale. (Hansard. See page 38)

ISN’T BURNING WOOD FOR DOMESTIC HEATING CLEAN, EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

These claims are disputed by a large number of experts. (See Video) Quite simply, when a tree is cut down and burnt it releases carbon into the atmosphere. This contributes to global warming and it takes decades for a new tree to grow and absorb the carbon that has been released. This is supported in a study by Stanford University environmental engineering Professor Mark Z. Jacobson, who says soot, or black carbon, from burning fossil fuels, including wood, may be responsible for 15% to 30% of global warming. It is also supported by UK Environmental Policy analyst and adviser to the United Nations and European Union, Duncan Brack who says for an equal amount of heat or electricity, wood burning releases more CO2 than burning gas, oil and even coal adding to climate change. In 2011 a study by Dr. Dorothy Robinson of the National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research at the University of New England in Armidale NSW found Australian wood heaters currently increase global warming and health costs. In a report to Atmospheric Pollution Research Journal, Dr Robinson said claims that wood heating is greenhouse neutral are incorrect. She found methane emissions of a wood heater in an average living room are similar to the CO2 emissions from heating an entire house with gas. When emissions from supplementary heating are considered, wood heating appears to be the worst option, even if all the wood is from a sustainable source. Her findings are supported by research conducted in 2022 by Sahil Roy from the Department of Earth Science, within the Greek National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research. His research was published in the Journal of Ecology and Toxicology and entitled ‘Global Warming is exacerbated by Australian wood heaters,’ Roy concludes ‘wood heating is not greenhouse neutral, despite what some people claim. Similar to the CO2 emissions from heating a 160 m2 house with gas, the methane emissions from a wood heater in the living room contribute to global warming. Even if all of the wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests, wood heating seems to be the worst option when emissions from supplemental heating are taken into account.’ According to the 2021 National Pollution Inventory wood burning accounts for almost 70% of fine particle air pollution in the ACT, while natural gas and motor vehicles account for significantly less. The ACT Governments own figures show that wood burning for domestic heating is responsible for a threefold increase in air pollution in Canberra’s Tuggeranong Valley alone during the cooler months of the year.

As firewood becomes scarce and more and more expensive people fossick for free firewood in our parks, reserves and conservation areas. By doing so they are destroying the habitats of many of our native fauna. Only about 5% of the wood used to fuel wood heaters in Canberra comes from sustainable sources. This was highlighted long ago by the former ACT Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Maxine Cooper, who warned in her 2003 State of the Environment Report; “It would appear that the majority of wood used in the ACT is not sustainably harvested, but is taken primarily from the central plains of New South Wales with a small amount from eastern Victoria.” More recently the CSIRO reported a majority of wood heater owners’ self-collect firewood from rural properties and the bush rather than buying it from a commercial supplier. Many other studies have shown this sourcing of fire wood has a serious impact on our environment. It denies our small fauna homes and places to shelter and nest. To further reduce their wood heating bills the CSIRO Survey found wood heater owners also burnt rubbish wood and timber. The Survey found that about a quarter of wood heater owners indicated that recycled wood and offcuts comprise at least a half of the wood used to fuel their wood heaters. This wood can contain oils, paints and other chemicals which only adds to the toxic cocktail already found in neighbourhood wood smoke pollution. All in all, Australia burns about 4.2 million tonnes of wood each year. That’s about equal to what we fell, chip and export for paper manufacture.

Finally, in July 2023 the Danish Government charged 23 companies with violating that country’s Marketing Practices Act with their deceptive environmental claims about wood burning. Denmark’s Consumer Ombudsman ruled that wood stoves, firewood, and wood pellets may no longer be marketed as environmentally friendly or carbon neutral, because they were considered false and misleading. In a statement, the Consumer Ombudsman wrote: “When companies market wood-burning stoves and firewood, they must not give consumers the mistaken impression that heating by burning wood is environmentally friendly. It is misleading and therefore contrary to the Marketing Act.” Despite Denmark’s tough environmental certification scheme, (Nordic Swan Ecolabel), the Ombudsman noted these certified wood heaters still emit; “environmentally harmful particles…The marketing must therefore not give the consumer the impression that burning wood in a certified wood heater is less harmful than it is.” He also ruled that wood heaters can no longer be marketed as being carbon neutral, because it is misleading. The Danish Ombudsman stated that while virtually the entire industry had engaged in marketing their products as being less harmful to the environment than they actually are, he found one company’s claims to be so deceptive that he referred the matter to the police. For more information visit;

Wood burning, sustainable and clean? (Video)

Wood burning industry tactics

WHAT’S THE ACT GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL WOODSMOKE POLLUTION IN MY SUBURB?

In March 2023 the ACT Minister for Environment, Rebecca Vassarotti, tabled a report, “Can Canberra ‘Burn Right Tonight’ or is there ‘no safe level of air pollution’? The report was written by the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Sophie Lewis.

Dr. Lewis recommended;

1. Phase out of wood heaters. Phase out wood heaters from ACT suburbs through the establishment of a target date for the replacement of wood heaters with electric alternatives in all ACT suburbs (excluding rural areas), as has been done for fossil-fuel gas. This should be supported through accessible financial support for lower income households. Ban the installation of new wood heaters in all ACT suburbs (excluding rural areas), for both new and existing builds. Establish a register of wood heaters in the ACT to determine the number and age of wood heaters. Mandate the removal of wood heaters before a property in any ACT suburb (excluding rural areas) can be sold.

2. Education about wood heater health risks. Introduce mandatory labelling explaining the health risks associated with wood heater usage at point of sale for both wood heaters and firewood in ACT. Include explicit messaging about the health risks associated with wood heater usage in ACT Government education and communication activities (e.g., Burn Right Tonight program).

3. Strengthen compliance. Develop and apply empirical criteria for determining environmental harm or nuisance from wood heater smoke, such as assessment of smoke composition and air quality monitoring at the affected sites, as part of EPA investigations.

4. 2019 State of the Environment Report recommendations. Reconsider responses to the 2019 State of the Environment Report’s recommendations 21 and 22: 21 Increase the number of National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure compliance monitoring stations, and 22 Urgently undertake an assessment of air pollutant emissions from diffuse sources to update the National Pollutant Inventory data (1999).

On 24 August 2023 the ACT Minister for Environment, Rebecca Vassarotti, announced wood heaters will be phased out in suburban Canberra by 2045.