In Australia, the dependence on wood burners for domestic
heating and cooking is comparatively low. However, in the city of
Launceston and the surrounding Tamar Valley (population approximately
100,000), approximately 30% of households use a wood burner
or open fireplace as their primary form of home heating (TPC, 2009).
In addition, the topography and meteorology of the region creates
thermal inversions which reduce air circulation and trap wood smoke
close to the ground, leading to elevated PM10 concentrations.