Ministry logging in on air quality
Aworking party established to help improve Mount Maunganui’s air quality has called on the Government to join its meeting today because the complex issues it faces “are not going to be resolved at a local or regional level”.
And it appears the plea has been heard, with Ministry for the Environment (MFE) representatives expected to attend via video link.
The request was brought up as part of an update on the Mount Maunganui Industrial Airshed at a Bay of Plenty Regional Council Monitoring and Operations Committee meeting on Tuesday.
In a letter to the ministry, Mount Maunganui Air Quality Working Party chairman Graeme Marshall and regional council chief executive Fiona Mctavish invited the ministry to attend the meeting, postponed from August.
The letter stated the issues faced in the airshed required a collective effort from central, regional and local government, “however, none of the MFE team have yet been able to make a meeting in person and we understand that there have been questions about whether MFE should be participating in what could be seen as a local issue”.
The letter said the ministry’s presence might answer many questions people had and help to mitigate any concerns “that this is a local issue” and progress solutions. Mfe’s participation in the work was “critical.”
“Most importantly, you will appreciate that many of the issues being faced in the airshed are complex and have been generations in the making. These are not going to be resolved at a local or regional level.”
In the committee meeting, councillor Stacey Rose asked what interest the ministry had shown regarding involvement with the working party.
Committee chairman Kevin Winters responded, expressing disappointment in saying that no one from the ministry had personally attended any working party meeting yet.
”... They need to front up and face our community face to face,” Winters said.
Ministry director of natural and built systems Jo Gascoigne told the Bay of Plenty Times it will meet with the working party today.
This follows previous ministry presence via video conference and an in-person attendance at a Whareroa Marae hui to discuss communit concerns about air quality.
“We have a limited ability to attend meetings in person and generally try to attend meetings via video conference, where possible, as we remain mindful of our carbon footprint.”