The campaign to get the 51,000 unflued gas heaters still being used in NSW public schools removed has turned into Asthma Foundation NSW’s biggest advocacy effort since the successful 2007 fight to get smoking banned from pubs, clubs and hotels. After more than a year of petitioning and public campaigning through the media, the issue has finally come to a climax, though a final resolution is yet to be announced.
After months of insisting that the heaters were “safe” to be used in schools, the Minister for Education & Training, Verity Firth, finally released the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research study into the effects of unflued heaters on the respiratory health of school children, which was conducted during 2009.
Published by the American Environmental Health Perspectives Journal the study concluded that: “…Classroom exposure to “low Nox” unflued gas heaters causes increased respiratory symptoms, particularly in atopic (hypersensitive to allergies) children… It is important to seek alternative sources of heating that do not have adverse effects on health.”
The Woolcock website added that “…The increased risk of cough and wheeze was greater in atopic (allergic) subjects, who represent over half the population. Atopic subjects were found to be more likely to use bronchodilator (“reliever”) medications during use of “low NOx” unflued gas heater…”
It also reveals “…Both NO2 and formaldehyde levels were substantially higher in classrooms during the operation of “low NOx” unflued gas heaters.”
The Asthma Foundation NSW position, which was extensively reported in the media, was that the study vindicated the stand the Foundation has taken that these heaters aren’t safe and should be removed from all public schools in NSW. As over half the population is atopic these heaters adversely affects the health of a large proportion of schoolchildren, including those with asthma.
Having been under pressure over the heaters for many months, Ms. Firth announced that the NSW Government would replace the unflued gas heaters in all public schools. However, the very next day NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, claimed that Ms. Firth had made that promise without cabinet approval. Following days of intense lobbying by the Foundation and other concerned parties, the Premier ratified Ms Firth’s announcement and gave her two weeks to come up with a timetable and a budget. That was at the end of July, six weeks ago, and there is still no sign of an official announcement, just a well-placed leak that Treasury favours a replacement programme lasting 15 years, whereas Ms. Firth favours five years. The Foundation has called for a two year programme.
The only area of real progress on unflued heaters, during a winter when the issue was never far from the front pages, was the announcement that 100 so-called “cold climate” schools will have its unflued heaters replaced as a matter of priority. These were chosen using meteorological charts to determine which schools needed their heaters the longest. The modest $15m budget means that there are communities with some of their schools on the list while others missed out. The list can be downloaded here.
Unflued gas heaters looks set to be a hot topic at next year’s state election where the voters, not the government, may well have the last word. The Foundation has already made its position clear during a recent meeting with Catherine Cusak, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, and is seeking a meeting with Shadow Minister for Education, Adam Piccoli, who has recently urged the NSW Government to announce a timetable.
We urge parents or members of the public wishing to express their concern over this matter to sign the Foundation’s on-line petition