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Get Toxic Heaters Out of Local Schools!
02-August-2010
A promise to replace more than 50,000 toxic gas heaters in New Sout Wales public schools is in doubt after the state government admits its Education Minister, Verity Firth, announced the plan without cabinet approval.
"I thought that it was a common-sense decision," Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley said today.
"This is an issue that I raised with Minister Firth on behalf of parent groups in Farrer. The advice the government has given to schools has been that there was not a problem with the heaters – so long as the class-room doors and windows were kept open, for ventilation.
"That advice is wrong.
"But what is really concerning is that the State government only stopped installing the un-flued gas heaters under Julia Gillard’s Building the Education Revolution program in March of this year. Incredibly, since then the same heaters have continued to be installed under a separate program.
Premier, Kristina Keneally, has now given Minister Firth two weeks to come up with a fully costed proposal, which will then go before cabinet for consideration.
"This is just time wasting so typical of Labor at state and federal level. There have been a number of studies completed on this issue, and whatever way you look at it, the heaters are not good for anyone, let alone school children," said Ms Ley.