The pollution intensifies during winters as the air stagnates due to local topography, so the cold and polluted air is trapped closer to the ground. 2017, 2018 and 2021 were colder than average winters, and our researchers found wood heater smoke contributed 17 to 25 per cent to the annual mean exposure to PM2.5 and led to a conservative estimate of 17 to 26 deaths per year, but the least conservative estimate was 43 to 63 deaths. In the milder years of 2016 and 2022, wood heater smoke contributed 13 to 15 per cent of annual mean exposure and were linked to 11 to 15 deaths per year at its lowest and 26 to 36 at its highest. 

With an estimated 11 to 63 avoidable deaths per year, which is equivalent to between $57 and $333 million in the annual cost of deaths for the ACT, it turns out wood heaters are actually a health, economic and environmental burden. Our researchers advocate for their steady removal and incentives for households to replace their wood fire heaters with lower emission alternatives that will keep families warm in Canberra winters. The ACT Government has offered incentives to replace woodfired heaters through the Wood Heater Replacement Program (now called Wood Heater Removal Program) and enacted restrictions on their installation for new developments, but committed to phasing out wood heaters by 2045 in 2023. 

Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, Director of HEAL Global Research Centre, explains: "Public awareness about wood heater usage alone is not sufficient. Proactive steps like banning new wood heaters, phasing out existing units in urban and suburban areas, and providing support for a clean domestic energy transition are the need of the hour which can achieve major health and environmental benefits in Australia.”