Mount Barker wood smoke program 2022–23

The EPA monitors and regulates South Australia’s air quality. We have a strong focus on the control of emissions that contribute to pollution. We monitor air quality in metropolitan Adelaide and some regional centres, and have programs to maintain and improve our air quality.

We work in partnership with industry and community to support better environmental outcomes. We work with SA Health and Bureau of Meteorology to understand the impacts of air quality on South Australians.

Air pollution is caused by the emission of pollutants from a wide variety of anthropogenic and natural sources including industry, light and heavy vehicles, domestic sources such as solid fuel heaters (eg wood heaters) and gardening equipment (eg lawnmowers), and natural events such as bushfires and dust storms.

There is increasing evidence that even relatively low levels of air pollution can have adverse effects on our health and consequently any improvement in air quality will result in improved health outcomes. Recent research indicates that fine particles pose the greatest risk to Australian communities.

Some groups are particularly susceptible or sensitive to poor air quality such as children, the elderly and those with existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. SA Health provides advice to vulnerable groups on managing the effects of poor air quality (such as dust). 

There is potential for South Australia’s air quality to get worse in the future due to the impacts of climate change on dust storms and bushfires, population growth and traffic.

The EPA's approach to air quality management includes:

Combustion of solid fuel such as wood releases different gaseous and particulate pollutants. In particular, the inefficient combustion of wood can generate large amount of tiny airborne particulate matter also known as PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns). The smaller the size of any particle, the deeper it will penetrate into the lungs.

PM2.5 exposure can cause significant health impacts. Numerous studies have showed associations between exposure to PM2.5 and increased hospital admissions as well as death from heart or lung diseases. Health effects can occur after both short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5.

Short-term exposure appears to exacerbate pre-existing diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD). Long-term exposure over many years can lead to reduced lung function, development of cardiovascular and respiratory disease and reduced life expectancy.

For wood-smoke related issues or to make a complaint regarding impacts of wood smoke on your property, please contact the Mount Barker District Council on (08) 8391 7200.

The main contributors to poor air quality in this area during winter months are emissions from wood heaters. We can all help improve air quality by using wood heaters as efficiently as possible.

For wood-smoke related issues or to make a complaint regarding impacts of wood smoke on your property, please contact the Mount Barker District Council on (08) 8391 7200.

Solid fuel heaters, such as wood heaters, are a popular means of home heating. Wood is an effective, renewable fuel when burnt efficiently. In South Australia it is estimated that approximately 14% of households use wood as their main source of energy for heating. However solid fuel heaters can be a major source of air pollution when they are poorly designed or not operated correctly.

The Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016 (Air Quality Policy) regulates the sale, installation and operation of solid fuel heaters, as well as industrial emissions and burning in the open, as they are all key contributors to air pollution, and at times can have a significant impact on air quality.

In Adelaide, poorly operated or inefficient solid fuel heaters are one of the several sources of fine particles (PM2.5) which contribute to ambient particle levels within the metropolitan area and contribute to the haze sometimes seen on still winter mornings. In some other areas such as Mount Gambier and the Adelaide Hills, wood smoke may be the dominant cause of poor winter air quality.

EPA has previously done air quality monitoring in both Mount Gambier and the Adelaide Hills as part of the SmokeWatch Program. During the program in Mount Gambier, EPA published weekly air quality summary graphs for  2009, 2010 and  2011 which give a good indication of how air quality in winter can be influenced by domestic burning.