Council required to clear the air

1st September 2005

JOHNATHAN DOW

New national air-quality standards which require regional councils to reduce air pollution come into effect today.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council must monitor air quality, publicly report whenever the air in the region exceeds the standards, and plan to improve air quality so they comply with the standards by 2013.

Home heating is the major source of air pollution in Hawke's Bay, accounting for around 90 percent of the fine particles (PM10) in the air in Napier and Hastings, a study presented to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council found.

Napier must now reduce fine particle emissions by 28 percent and Hastings by at least 64 percent.

To help meet the fine particle criteria, a new design standard for domestic wood burners also takes effect today. It will greatly reduce the amount of fine particles new wood burners can produce in urban areas.

This means only regulation wood burners will be approved for properties of less than 2ha.

"Research suggests more people in New Zealand die prematurely from fine particle pollution than are killed on our roads," Environment Minister Marion Hobbs said.

The Government has left it up to councils to decide how they meet the air standards and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council plans to consult the public on how they will do this.