Newborough public housing tenants are worried they will freeze this winter as the Department of Health and Human Services drags its feet inspecting potentially deadly gas heaters.
Public housing tenants received a letter from the department urging them not to switch on Pyrox or Vulcan Heritage gas heaters which could unleash unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.
Wooreen Street public housing tenants told The Express the department could not guarantee a fast fix as this year’s cold-snap hits.
Resident Jennifer Clarke called the department to arrange an inspection and install an alternative heater but was still waiting for a response.
“The department said it would send someone out within one to seven days, but no one came,” she said.
“I rang them again and they said they were overworked and very busy and they would be around before the end of winter. We would like to get some new heaters installed as soon as possible.”
The warning comes after the death of a Greensborough public housing tenant, Sonia Sofianopoulos who died from carbon monoxide poisoning last year.
Ms Clarke said so far only two units in the 14-unit block had been officially inspected by the department and those two heaters tested faulty.
Those tenants were left with temporary replacements, however, they were inefficient electric bar heaters, putting upward pressure on power bills.
Heather Richards has lived in the block for the past 13 years and said residents had been rugging up against the cold.
“No one has been turning them on. I have nerve damage in my hands and I have to have the heater on or my hands won’t work. I get affected by the cold and I can’t move anymore,” she said.
Ms Richards feared some residents would not understand the implications of the department’s letter, which so far has been the only form of contact.
“There are a few people here who don’t understand what this letter would mean that turning the heater on could be potentially harmful,” she said.
Residents were also concerned they had been copping the fumes from faulty heaters in neighbouring units. Some linked headaches and nausea to years of toxic exposure.
Across Victoria, the department is testing and replacing 6500 of these heaters installed in public houses.
It intends to replace them with permanent powered flue gas heaters.
The Australian Gas association has suspended the certification of the Vulcan/Pyrox heaters, which have been withdrawn from sale.
This is an issue that affects both public housing and private housing occupants.
A Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman said its contractors were working at full capacity and were in the process of employing additional staff.
“This is not a small task and given the number of heaters, will take some time to address. This work is already underway and being given the highest priority,” she said.
“Additional temporary heaters have been purchased and the department is working with contractors to get these out to tenants as required.”
She said the department was also looking into providing utilities assistance for people given temporary electric heaters.
