Campaign Opposing Unflued Gas Heating (COUGH) – a Blue Mountains Parents and Citizens Association-based action group – launched its own website on May 26.

By the end of that day 93 people put their names down on COUGH’s online petition.

To date the group’s campaign has the support of the NSW Teachers Federation, more than half a dozen Blue Mountains P&C branches and the direct backing of Blackheath and Katoomba North Primary Schools.

COUGH spokesperson and Blackheath Public School parent Richard Kalina said recent meetings at Hazelbrook and Katoomba Public Schools went very well.

“There is an increasing groundswell of support and next week the Today Tonight program is coming up to talk to us,” Mr Kalina said.

“We recently received a letter of open support from Member for Blue Mountains Phil Koperberg.

“He said he’s trying to organise a meeting between COUGH, Education and Training minister John Della Bosca and possibly Member for Macquarie Bob Debus.”

Mr Koperberg’s office confirmed with the Gazette such a meeting is being organised, but no date has been set.

NSW Teachers Federation (TF) deputy president Bob Lipscombe said infringement notices have been issued in the past related to health aspects of unflued gas heater use in schools.

“Those incidents related to TF members that have been adversely affected (by the operation of the heaters),” Mr Lipscombe said.

“The TF has long standing concerns about these heaters, especially in schools in cold climates like the Blue Mountains.”

Mr Lipscombe said it was worrying unflued gas heaters are still being installed in new schools.

“It flies in the face of advice put forward by NSW Health about the need to minimise use of unflued gas heaters due to the emission of dangerous gases, especially to vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

“It’s nonsense for the Department of Education and Training to support the continued use of unflued gas heaters while saying the only safe way to operate them is to open windows for cross ventilation.”

For more information about the campaign, visit:

www.cough.org.au.