First Air Quality Exceedance in Napier

Napier’s air quality exceeded the National Environmental Standards (NES) for Air Quality for the first time this winter over the weekend.

On Saturday, the Marewa monitoring site recorded an average 24 hr PM 10 of 51.9 micrograms/cubic metre.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council monitors air quality in Napier and Hastings for National Environmental Standards which set a limit of 50 micrograms/cubic metre of PM10 (fine particles) in a 24 hr period. PM10 concentrations in Napier and Hastings are usually at their highest during winter and come from open fires or wood burners used for home heating.

Regional Council scientists say this was unusual. It’s not often there is an exceedance in Napier and not in Hastings, and on Saturday, Hastings only had an air pollution reading of 23 µg/m3. It was also raining for a good portion of the day. However, air conditions were calm, and a lack of wind is an indication that smoke is less able to be dissipated.

The Council urges people using wood burners or open fires to do a quick check outside of how much smoke comes out of the flue or chimney for a few evenings to help find out how much smoke their fire is producing. People can then adjust their burners so that the wood burns quickly and well.

Funding assistance is available from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for property owners in Hastings and Napier to switch to cleaner forms of heating.

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