Hawke's Bay bans open fires

The people of Hastings and Napier have just 11 more weeks to enjoy open fires in their homes.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has prohibited domestic open fires from January 1, despite the delayed implementation of national air quality standards, and against the wishes of local mayors.

There are 2000 domestic open fireplaces in Hastings and 1000 in Napier.

The council needs to lower the amount of particulate matter over Napier and Hastings in order to meet national environment standards.

Under those standards, the amount of particulate matter (PM10) in the air must not exceed 50 micrograms per cubic metre, with only one breach allowed in each area, or "airshed", each year.

At present the limit is regularly exceeded over winter in both centres, the primary cause being the burning of wood for domestic fires. This winter the limit was exceeded 12 times in Hastings and four times in Napier.

The standards, introduced in 2004, were to be met by 2013 but earlier this year Environment Minister Nick Smith pushed the deadline out to 2016 for areas that have fewer than 10 breaches (including Napier) and 2020 for others (including Hastings).

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule and Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott said they were surprised at the regional council deadline, given that the implementation date of the standards had been bumped back.

Both said two months was insufficient time to advise people of the prohibition.

From 2014 the regional council will prohibit the use of solid fuel burners installed before December 1995.

Those installed between 1996 and August 2005 are prohibited from 2016 and those installed after September 2005 will be prohibited from 2018 in Hastings and 2020 in Napier.

Regional council chairman Fenton Wilson said an education programme would run in the leadup to winter.

"We're not patrolling the streets looking for these fires. It just gives us a means to deal with a complaint," he said.

The prohibition had already been bumped out a year and had to be enforced now so the deadline could be met. "We can't do it all in one hit."

Flaxmere resident Neralee Edlin, who has used the open fire in her Housing New Zealand house since 1997, said she and her three children would struggle to keep warm without it and would not be able to afford gas or power for alternative heating.

"We use it quite a lot, especially in the morning. Housing NZ told me to stop using it a while ago, but we need it to stay warm. It doesn't make sense to me."

A Greater Wellington regional Council spokesman said there were no rules governing discharges from domestic fires as air quality met the required standards apart from a few occasions in sheltered valley areas such as Masterton and Wainuiomata.

A new plan covering air quality was likely to go out for public submissions in 2013, the spokesman said.

Horizons Regional Council does not prohibit open fires and there were no plans to do so.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is banning open fires in Rotorua from May 2015.

Nelson banned open fires in 2008. Christchurch followed in 2010.

Air standards

The Environment Ministry's national environment standards for air quality, introduced in 2004, included standards for outdoor air quality.

Regional councils must identify areas where air quality does, or is likely to, exceed the standards. These "airsheds" must be monitored for pollutants.

Councils had to ensure all airsheds were compliant by 2013. One exceedence a year permitted.

In January this year Environment Minister Nick Smith said the 2013 deadline was unrealistic. Those areas at present exceeding the standards fewer than 10 times a year now have until 2016 to become compliant, and areas exceeding standards more than 10 times a year must comply by 2020.

- © Fairfax NZ News