Taranaki Regional Council media release

5 March 2009
For immediate release

New Measures Mooted For Easier Backyard Breathing

Backyard rubbish fires in Taranaki urban areas would become a thing of the past if the regional community accepts suggested new air-quality rules going out for public submission on Saturday (7 March).

The proposed Regional Air Quality Plan for Taranaki would ban rubbish fires on residential properties smaller than 0.5 ha in defined urban areas that have weekly refuse collections. The areas include Bell Block, Egmont Village, Eltham, Hawera, Inglewood, Kaponga, Lepperton, Manaia, Midhirst, New Plymouth, Normanby, Ohawe Beach, Oakura, Okato, Onaero, Opunake, Patea, Stratford, Urenui, Waitara and Waverley.

The backyard burning ban is among a number of suggested new measures to emerge after the Taranaki Regional Council carried out a major review of the existing Regional Air Quality Plan, which sets out the rules surrounding discharges to air and which came into force in 1997.

Other proposed changes include:

• New measures to deal with so-called “reverse sensitivity” issues surrounding intensive pork and poultry farming (where a pre-existing operation draws objections from more recent arrivals to the vicinity).
• Alterations reflecting amendments to the Resource Management Act.
• Clearer definitions of terms and classifications of rules.
• Updated guidance on good industry practice for operators of intensive pork and poultry farms.

“The plan is pretty much business as usual because it has worked well, and only a few changes are proposed,” says the Council’s Director-Environment Quality, Gary Bedford.

“For example, backyard rubbish burning is at the very least a major nuisance for those downwind. It’s smelly, dirty and can result in highly toxic fumes that are a significant health risk.

“We’ve framed the new rule so that all those who are affected do have another viable disposal option – their weekly rubbish collection. And of course composting and mulching are always options for green waste.

“Other Councils in New Zealand are introducing a similar rule.

“The ban would apply only to the burning of household rubbish and green waste. Fires for food preparation would still be allowed, so hangi and barbecues would not be affected.

“The ban would also be limited to properties smaller than 0.5 ha, so lifestyle blocks won’t be affected. And beyond urban limits, the burning of farm rubbish will still be permitted, apart from prohibited material as set out in another of the plan’s rules.”

Enforcement of the urban ban would be in the hands of the region’s three District Councils, which are already required by the Health Act to respond to nuisance fires. They also carry out similar duties for noise control.

Mr Bedford says the review of the Regional Air Quality Plan has also resulted in an innovative suggestion to cope with reverse-sensitivity issues around intensive pig and poultry farming.

“What we’re proposing is that when such operations have a good environmental record, and the scale of the operation has not increased, consent renewals should be notified only to those neighbours who were there when the consent was first granted.

“Although sign-off from later arrivals would not be needed for the consent to be renewed, they would still have the right to lodge complaints about odour at any time and these would be investigated by Taranaki Regional Council enforcement staff as a matter of course.

“Given the rapidly changing nature of land use in some rural areas, we think this measure would be the best way to safeguard the rights of all parties as much as possible.”

Mr Bedford says major consent holders, district council staff and the pork and poultry industry were consulted during the review, which began in 2007. The proposed new plan is open for public submission from 7 March to 8 May. That will be followed by hearings, if needed, and further consideration and possibly amendments before the plan is approved and adopted.

Copies of the proposed plan, and a guide to making submissions, will be available at the Taranaki Regional Council office at 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, at district council offices and libraries throughout the region, and on-line at www.trc.govt.nz, from 7 March. Submissions can also be made on-line via the website.

ENDS

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