Health official supports council
Despite South Waikato District Council’s education campaign around its proposed Clean Air Bylaw being called into question, a Waikato health official does not doubt staff’s commitment to informing residents.
Earlier this week Population Health’s Dr Dell Hood who, spoke to her submission last week, responded to council’s decision to shelve the bylaw, saying they have her continued support.
‘‘I respect South Waikato District Council whatever their decision. No one can say that this council has not given everything, and there certainly was not a lack of commitment.’’
At last week’s hearings Dr Hood congratulated SWDC on its attempts to implement the bylaw, however had reservations about the impact it would have on residents.
‘‘We realise that this is going to be a difficult bylaw for the people of Tokoroa and the South Waikato because of the impacts of it financially.
‘‘The people of this community are not well placed to meet the cost that this bylaw will impose on them. However, I was looking again at it last night and realised your first deadline is in fact already this year. I couldn’t help wondering if perhaps that time frame needs to be stretched out a bit more, that’s going to have implications in your achieving compliance,’’ she said.
Dr Hood noted that the organisation is mindful of the fact that forcing the community to pay further expenditure will have its own impact on health.
‘‘I noted that one of the observations in other submissions in your summary on your website was that the air quality has already much improved. Now that the harm that this form of pollution has done to human health in many communities over many years is recognised, we strongly support your council,’’ she added.