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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2112 ..

MS TUCKER

It is estimated there are approximately 10,000 non-certified wood heaters, 2,000 certified wood heaters, and 5,000 open fireplaces in Canberra. Fuel wood is collected privately and commercially, with about half being privately collected. The current proposed amendment addresses commercial practice only. It is obviously a small step but an important one. Commercial fuel wood collectors often operate on a casual basis and, due to the unregulated environment, standards of practice vary considerably. For example, a study in Armidale showed that on average consumers receive 76 per cent of the specified weight, and some only 50 per cent.

Currently the industry is unsustainable, with demand outstripping supply. In the ACT region, collection of fuel wood is usually associated with the collection of trees which have died as a result of agricultural clearing, eucalypt ringbarking, poisoning clearing and dieback. Susceptible woodland communities close to urban centres are especially affected right around Australia. Consumption in Canberra has increased from 61,200 tonnes in 1983 to an estimated 100,000 tonnes in 1995.

The wood is often yellow, red and grey box. Red ironbark and some river gum are sourced from surrounding New South Wales. Wood is brought from up to 800 kilometres away. Most fuel wood is collected from areas of remnant vegetation which are not adequately protected in reserve systems. About 70 hectares of box ironbark woodlands are cleared each day for fuel wood. Both green wood and dead wood are collected, or mined, as is perhaps a more accurate term for the current state of practice.

The loss of living trees has clear implications for the health of a woodland. The loss of standing dead trees, however, has a significant impact on ecological diversity through changes to vegetation composition and structure, soil erosion and nutrient levels, and loss of food and habitat for fauna. Standing dead trees have major habitat value for raptors and arboreal mammals. Fallen branches are also valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife. The bird population of a stand of forest has been found to be directly related to the amount of fallen timber left on the forest floor.

On the question of pollution, Canberra's topography and climate are conducive to poor atmospheric dispersion in winter, and low-level inversions on cool nights will form if wind speeds are low. Surrounding hills exacerbate the problem of accumulation of air pollutants when vertical dispersion is poor. Light winds and low-level inversions will also increase the incidence of nuisance smoke, where smoke from a chimney or fire blows directly into a neighbour's home.

A recent study on air pollution called Air Pollution-Size Counts, by Dr Melita Keywood, identified for the first time in Australia the chemical make-up of different size particles in the air. Burning wood creates tiny particles which can penetrate deep into the lungs and contain toxic and cancer causing chemicals. Chemicals include lead, black carbon and complex organic compounds. Dr Keywood and her colleagues measured levels of particles smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Launceston. Average concentrations in the smaller

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