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The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Transport and Urban Planning, both in her own right and also representing the Minister for Environment, a question about wood fires.
Leave granted. The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: My office has received, as I think it often does each year, some correspondence from constituents concerned about environmental pollution caused by domestic wood fires. In asking this question— The Hon. A.J. Redford: The commercial ones are okay, are they? The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I am not aware of any commercial wood fires—in urban areas, anyway. In asking this question I point out that I have a wood fire at home. The Hon. Diana Laidlaw: Is that why you've got a cold? The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: The problem is that I didn't light it one cold night. The letter I received from my constituent coincided with newspaper articles about moves by the Environment Protection Authority to introduce a code of practice for the use of wood heaters. With winter weather now well and truly upon us, there is concern that we have to ensure that, while people are using wood heaters, as far as is practicable we limit the potential for associated pollution. I note so far that a great deal of the focus has been on the design of the fires themselves, but most people would say that the biggest single problem in relation to wood fires is whether or not the wood is dry. Therefore, what is important is the storage of the wood. In those circumstances I ask the Minister, first, whether or not any consideration has been given to requiring places that sell wood to store it under cover in some way so that the wood remains as dry as possible; and, secondly— The Hon. A.J. Redford: It is dear enough as it is. The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: It is more expensive when it is wet because, as they sell it by weight, you pay for the water in it. Members interjecting: The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: Absolutely; but I try to keep it dry. Secondly—and this relates to the Minister in her urban development portfolio—in relation to new homes with a wood fire included in their design, is any consideration being given to expecting that an area be provided for the storage of wood, particularly to keep it dry?The Hon. DIANA LAIDLAW: Not that I am aware of in terms of the building code; I would have thought it was just simply good practice. At my retreat in the Barossa it would not occur to me to leave out in the rain the wood that I had gathered. It is hard enough to get it to light, let alone having it smoke up the room. Perhaps not everybody has the good sense I have in terms of keeping wood dry for warming purposes.
I understand from the Attorney that there was an article recently about new wood burners being most efficient in terms of combustion and cost but that would not apply if the wood was wet. Perhaps it is a matter not so much of amending the building code to provide for such a thing but of just general good practice to which we could alert people, in terms of both the delivery and the storage of timber. I can explore the issue further for the honourable member and bring back a more considered reply.Read the Government's reply: 8 July 1999