In a lather over car wash proposal
A bylaw that would ban car washing from Napier driveways has one man decrying the loss of ‘‘one of the last joys of life before we are threatened with extinction’’.
Within the Napier City Council’s proposed Stormwater Bylaw 2019 is a requirement that no-one allows any chemical, including detergents, to enter the stormwater network.
That included car wash detergents, which the council said typically contained sulphates, which removed oxygen from waterways and could be fatal to aquatic life.
‘‘Expectations under the draft bylaw are for people to wash their cars on their lawn or other area of pervious surface or wash their car at dedicated commercial facilities,’’ the council said.
It said other councils had similar rules, and noted that what it proposed was similar to suggestions by Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The proposed bylaw attracted 37 submissions, nine of which expressed concerns about the impact on car washing and the constraints some residents had in accessing grass areas or lawn.
One of those submitters, Chris Denby, said the rule was draconian and urged the council to ‘‘leave the joy of the car wash on the home driveway’’.
‘‘This is one relaxing and pleasurable activity that I enjoy every now and then . . . and now it too is under threat,’’ he said.
‘‘For us car buffs, it’s one of the last joys of life before we are threatened with extinction – T-shirt and jandals, nice sunny day, chamois in hand, car radio playing a favourite station, shiny chrome, gleaming paintwork . . . it’s a Kiwi tradition that should not be quashed,’’ he said.
‘‘Given that most people hardly ever wash their cars, and allow the rain to get rid of dirt from the car (which goes into the stormwater system from the road anyway), would enforcement of this make any real difference?’’ he added.
The council will discuss the submissions at a meeting next week, with council officers recommending that the matter progress to a hearing at a later date.
Anyone convicted of an offence against a bylaw was liable to a fine not exceeding $20,000.