COUNCIL has back-pedalled a decision on wood fire heaters.
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The motion would have allowed Armidale Regional Council to remove wood fire heaters from houses after they were sold.
Cr Diane Gray moved the rescission motion and said Council needed more time to be better informed.
“The wider Armidale region has grown, this is a newly amalgamated Council leaving many ratepayers unsure of the issues and associated problems with the wood smoke,” Cr Gray said.
“And, the impact as well of what such lobbying at the local government conference may have.”
Signed by Cr Andrew Murat, Jon Galletly and Diane Gray, the motion to rescind was put forward after widespread outrage from Armidale residents.
Using her casting vote to pass the October motion, deputy-mayor Dorothy Robinson said claims by vested interested that Council wanted to leave houses in the cold were misleading.
“There is no such policy [to ban wood heaters], and there almost certainly never will be,” Cr Robinson said.
The decision was made on Wednesday.