Forced out of home by wood-burning restaurants

In 2010 subsequent to the installation of a very large ‘First in Australia’ wood burning, meat cooking restaurant in our suburb we were forced out of our newly renovated apartment which was in the firing line of the chimney of this establishment. Our health was badly impacted. After 2 years of complaints and pleas for help to local council we were forced to sell up and move, this caused incredible stress physically, emotionally and financially.

Approximately one year after relocating to a new apartment yet another large restaurant nearby set up large wood fired pizza ovens along with a ‘fancy’ wood fired restaurant. The smoke fumes were terrible, and again our apartment smelled of smoke and fumes. We were forced to eventually sell up and move AGAIN, subsequently moving into a house in a local suburb.

Unfortunately however with the ever growing glorification and popularity of all forms of wood fire burning with the sales of outdoor fire pits, chimineas, wood fired barbecues, and wood heaters soaring, not to mention the wood fired restaurant in every suburb, the air quality has diminished markedly.

Our health has suffered immeasurably, over winter it can be difficult to breathe at times particularly given that we live in a valley. Even on days when it is a pleasant 19 degrees, on go the wood heaters. There are days over summer when we must close all doors and windows with air filters running even though it is hot, because someone somewhere is burning a fire for recreation. We cannot enjoy sitting on the balcony or outside in the yard.

Incinerators were banned many years ago, cigarette smoking was banned in all public areas, but now wood burning smoke has surpassed all forms of air pollution once experienced in our suburbs. How did we get here!?