The city of Launceston has approved a “Domestic Wood Smoke Plan.” It leaves a lot to be desired.
Launceston, in the Australian state of Tasmania, has a serious wood smoke pollution problem. It is not a new problem. It has been recognized for over 30 years, beginning with a study in the early 1990s.
In the early 2000s, financial incentives were introduced to encourage people to move away from wood heating, and many of them did. The number of wood stove users went down from 66% to around 30%, leading to a reduction in the number of deaths from respiratory and cardiac causes.
We know what works to reduce wood smoke pollution in Launceston: reducing the number of wood stoves.
$293 million annually in health costs
Today, wood smoke pollution continues to be a major problem in Launceston. According to figures provided in the final published plan (PDF), the annual health-related cost of wood stove smoke in Launceston is estimated to be as much as approximately AU$293 million, with over 50 premature deaths a year linked to smoke from wood burning. It is estimated that each wood stove in Launceston adds AU$4,232 in health costs for the community each year.
Earlier this year, the city’s government announced that they were formulating the wood smoke plan, and a community consultation period was opened to gather feedback on the plan.
The industry put out a call to action
When the consultation opened, the Australian wood stove industry’s main trade organization put out a call to action, urging wood stove owners to comment on the plan with suggested talking points.
Ultimately, 70% of the consultation’s responses came from wood stove owners, even though the number of residents who have a wood heater is closer to 25–30%. The responses did not provide a balanced reflection of the city’s residents.
The result: not much action
Rather than another buy-back scheme like they had in the early 2000s, a ban, or other meaningful actions to reduce wood burning, the 15-year plan “focuses on education, awareness, and supporting residents to make informed decisions about home heating.” This, despite the fact that the plan itself acknowledges that education “has shown little influence on reducing wood smoke from domestic wood heating.”
The plan states that “in later stages”—years down the road—they might consider a potential bylaw or other regulatory action, but only “where supported by evidence, community engagement and Council decision-making.”
In the document’s conclusion, it states:
This Plan aligns with the City of Launceston’s Strategic Plan by supporting a healthier, more liveable, and sustainable city, while also contributing to broader Tasmanian, Australian and global health priorities that recognise clean air as fundamental to public health and wellbeing.
Given the lack of meaningful action on wood burning in Launceston for the foreseeable future, we do not agree with that asssessment.
