Media Release

Tough Choices Ahead on how Homes are Heated

Air quality in Invercargill and Gore is among the worst in New Zealand, thanks to the prevalence of open fires and old-style solid fuel burners in homes in both communities.

The Invercargill and Gore airsheds are some of the most polluted in the country – annual average PM10 (fine particulate matter) concentrations for 2011 placed them among the top five. The primary cause is the burning of coal and wood in domestic fires.

This presents very real health risks, but it also means these urban areas don’t meet the government’s new National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NES). What’s more, the NES stipulates deadlines for improving the air quality and meeting the PM10 standards. They must be met in Gore by 1 September 2016. In Invercargill they must be met by 1 September 2020, but specified improvements are required by 2016.

The Regional Air Quality Plan for Southland is out of date and doesn’t reflect these new legal requirements. It’s currently up for review and requires some tough decisions about how we heat our homes. This weekend the Breathe Easy… consultation document and questionnaire is being delivered to homes in the Invercargill and Gore airsheds. It outlines the context, the issues and some options for change.

Policy and Planning Manager Ken Swinney said Environment Southland was keen to get people’s feedback. “This is a chance for people to tell us what they think ahead of the formal consultation process, which will come later,” he said. “Making changes isn’t going to be easy – anything we do will affect someone, so we’re spelling out the problems and inviting people to help us find the right solutions. We really want people to take the time to consider the issues and fill out the questionnaire,” he said.

The options outlined in Breath Easy… to meet the NES and reduce the pollution in the Invercargill and Gore airsheds include:

• A review and update of the plan, which would suggest policies and rules to manage smoke and pollutants from domestic fires in Invercargill and Gore, require domestic fires to meet MfE design standards, phase out domestic open fires and non-compliant solid fuel burners, ban outdoor burning between May and August inclusive, and consider a point-of-sale rule within the airsheds.
• Air Quality Bylaw to restrict the installation of solid fuel burners in new and existing homes and ban indoor open fires.
• Incentives programme to encourage cleaner heating options, which could include targeted rates, clean heating loan scheme and subsidies subsidiary.

The questionnaire needs to be returned by 5 April.

Environment Southland is leading the review of the Regional Air Quality Plan for Southland as part of its mandate to manage the region’s air and water resources. The Breath Easy… discussion document is directed by the Proposed Southland Regional Policy Statement (2012), which outlines and addresses the management of Southland’s resources and the significant issues facing them.

The Breathe Easy… discussion document and questionnaire is available to download online: www.es.govt.nz/environment/air/breathe-easy

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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