Housing for poor, less fat needed

Christchurch has had four high pollution nights, just 10 days into winter. Environment Canterbury data showed on June 6, air quality standards were exceeded at the St Albans air shed. Two breaches occurred in May and one in March at the Woolston air shed. If this was 2016, ECan would have failed to meet Government standards. The Government has said highly-polluted air sheds can have no more than three high smog nights by 2016 and one by 2020. Other areas in ECan’s jurisdiction are not faring well either. Timaru leads on 10 high pollution nights, Kaiapoi, 7, Waimate, 4, Rangiora, 2, and Ashburton, 1. ECan says 57 per cent of air pollution in winter is from logburners. The regional council said it would be cracking down on smoky chimneys this year – only 15 minutes of visible smoke is allowed to be emitted once a logburner has been ignited. Air pollution officers will be observing chimneys and using information from people who dob on their neighbours. Residents in clean air zones face $750 fines. In March, parliamentary commissioner for the environment Dr Jan Wright said the high pollution night test was the wrong test and "ten years out of date’’. In New Zealand, the standard is to measure whether PM10 (particulate matter up to 10 micrometers in size) exceeds 50 micrograms per cubic metre in 24 hours. Regional councils must meet the PM10 rule. Wright argued the measure ‘‘of most importance’’ was whether PM2.5, which is much smaller and capable of penetrating respiratory systems, was high over a longer period. New Zealand needs more housing for the poor, and less fat on the hips of the average Kiwi, according to a report from the OECD.

The country should also look at road tolls in the form of ‘‘congestion charging’’ to help fix traffic jams in the big cities.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is made up of about 30 countries and the international group aims to promote economic growth, prosperity and development.

In its latest report on New Zealand, the OECD’s key recommendations included raising the supply of social housing for low income households. The government should also increase targeted housing subsidies for the poor .

The Government was taking steps to ease shortages of affordable and social housing but needed to go further to make significant headway in rolling back the large burden of housing costs on poor households in recent decades, the report says.

House prices had risen sharply in recent years and were high compared with rents and incomes. The biggest increases were in Auckland where prices were up more than 16 per cent in the past year.

The OECD also says New Zealand needs a ‘‘comprehensive’’ approach to reducing obesity, including personal actions, and factors that encourage exercise.

The high levels of obesity and smoking were key risks for higher death rates among Maori, Pacific Islanders and the poor.

To discourage smoking, tobacco taxes have been increased 70 per cent since 2010, taking it to the highest tax rate in the OECD with a further 10 per cent tax rise due next year. Each 10 per cent tax rise sees the number of smokers fall 5 per cent or more, according to some economists’ estimates.

Overall, the OECD report gives New Zealand a tick.