Air pledge hailed as ‘victory’

A National-led government may be encouraged to amend the standards behind a rule requiring Timaru people to replace their older-style woodburners.

Environment Minister Nick Smith made the pre-election pledge to push to alter the standards in a move a residents-led committee calls a ‘‘victory for the public voice’’.

Smith made the promise to about 85 people at a public meeting on Tuesday.

The Canterbury Air Regional Plan says burners aged 15 years or older cannot be used and that people have until October 31 to replace them with a low emissions burner.

After then, the Environment Canterbury-developed plan says they will have to apply for building consent to replace them with more expensive, ultra-low burner types.

Smith told the meeting he wanted a standardised approach across all councils, so regional councils could no longer set their own rules for woodburner replacement.

National Party Rangitata candidate Andrew Falloon, who invited Smith to Timaru, said lowemission burners should only be introduced when old burners finished their natural life.

Smith said he would propose the idea during the review of the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality.

‘‘We will, before Christmas, be putting out a discussion paper on proposed changes to the National Standard,’’ Smith said.

Smith stressed ECan had a ‘‘job to do’’ and that he could not change the October 31 deadline.

‘‘If the National Environmental Standard changes, the council needs to comply with that standard.’’

Smith also proposed the standards review should consider regional councils being required to measure the average pollution level over the course of the year, rather than counting the number of high pollution days.

He would also propose introducing measurements of PM2.5, rather than PM10. The larger, PM10 particles are currently measured in Timaru. This has translated to the town experiencing 17 high pollution days this winter. The smaller particles are more dangerous when it came to people’s health.

Smith said smaller particles were still an issue for Timaru, but they would not be ‘‘as acute’’.

From the audience, Cath Bakkum told Smith she had written to him about needing to stay warm because of her medical condition.

In response, Smith said the rules were about striking a balance between having warm homes and clean air. He did not think the balance was right.

Nelson, where he was based, had a history of breaching air quality standards, and at one time had 80 high-pollution days a year. That number was now down to one. ‘‘It is possible,’’ Smith said. After the meeting, South Canterbury Regional Air Plan Liaison Committee member Tom O’Connor described the result as a ‘‘victory for the public voice’’. Committee chairman Mark Rogers said it was ‘‘very encouraging’’ Smith had listened and was willing to take action.

A member of the audience noted those who did not replace their burners by the deadline stood to benefit ‘‘at the cost of those who did’’.

Former ECan councillor Mark Oldfield also spoke, saying ECan was ‘‘just the messenger’’ and urging people not to ‘‘bag’’ it.

ECan has subsidies of up to $5000 available to help people move to new heating devices.

Labour Party Rangitata candidate Jo Luxton has previously said she would advocate for an end to the 15-year rule if elected.