Affordability link to poor air quality

Lower socioeconomic groups that can’t afford to pay back nointerest loans to upgrade their home heating appliances may be contributing to poor air quality in Southland. Environment Southland has banned the use of open fires and is slowly phasing out older heating appliances in Invercargill and Gore to meet the Government’s national standards for air quality. Residents are able to apply for a $5000 interest-free loan, which is paid back over five years, to upgrade their heating appliance to a compliant wood burner, pellet burner or approved heat pump, and/or to upgrade insulation. But the uptake for the loans has been slow. In Gore, only 11 applications had been received. One had been declined and one had been with- drawn, and there had been 113 in Invercargill as at March 31, 2018. In Environment Southland’s organisation performance and audit committee agenda on June 13, under a Clean Air Loans Quarterly Report, it says ‘‘a comment was made that the lower socioeconomic group that can’t afford the loan are a contributing factor to poor air quality. It was acknowledged that this was a complex issue and council had commissioned a crossorganisational team to address this and other issues’’. Council chairman Nicol Horrell said while the Clean Air Loans were a useful tool in helping people move towards cleaner heating sources, the council was aware that they were only part of the picture. ‘‘For some people in the community, we know that repaying a loan will be outside their means, so we need to consider what other options might be available to assist these people to make the change to cleaner heating. ‘‘We suggest that people make contact with Awarua Synergy to discuss the Clean Air Loans and find out exactly how it could work for them.’’ Grey Power Eastern Southland president Evan Currie said it was possible pensioners would struggle to pay back loans to replace their heating. The real pressure would be on grandparents who were bringing up grandchildren, Currie said. Ministry of Social Development regional director Sue Rissman said it was important people know there’s somewhere to go and options to consider if they need help keeping warm this winter. The ministry was unable to provide statistics on the number of people in Southland who had applied for an advance on their benefit, a recoverable assistance payment or a special needs grant to heat their homes this winter. ‘‘How much help we’re able to offer will depend on the person and their situation. ‘‘The Government’s new winter energy payment starts next week and in some cases may be an extra $30 per week. This automatic payment helps people getting a benefit, New Zealand Superannuation or a Veteran’s Pension to heat their homes by increasing the amount of money available to them over the winter months.’’ When the proposed Clean Air Plan was launched in 2014, Environment Southland estimated around 800 open fires were being used as heating sources in Invercargill and 100 in Gore, while about 4000 burners installed before 1997 in Invercargill and about 650 in Gore would be covered in the first phase under the plan. Open fires were banned from January 1, 2017, and older wood burners and multi-fuel burners will be phased out until January 2034, depending on their age. The regional council has contributed $140,000 a year for three years towards the loan scheme, which is administered by the Gore District Council, managed by Awarua Synergy and the Southland Warm Homes Trust. A similar loan scheme operates in Invercargill to assist homeowners to upgrade their heating. The Gore District Council has set aside a further $50,000 for an interest-free loan pilot scheme to provide insulation.

‘‘. . . we need to consider what other options might be available to assist these people to make the change to cleaner heating.’’ Environment Southland chairman Nicol Horrell