Clean air
In winter Arrowtown has some of the most polluted air in Otago, thanks to the popularity of solid-fuel home heating. Air monitoring shows that the national standards for pollution are regularly exceeded, and on some still, cold nights the air is as dirty as Beijing's on a bad day.
In 2004, the Ministry for the Environment tasked regional councils with making sure national standards were met by 2013. Since then Otago Regional Council has worked with homeowners in the towns with the worst pollution – including Arrowtown – to get clean heating appliances and insulation installed to help improve air quality.
We are working alongside NIWA, ORC and the Cosy Homes trust to clear the air in Arrowtown.
What is NIWA doing?
NIWA's Community Observation Networks for Air (CONA) research project is working with the community to tackle our air pollution. Arrowtown now has possibly the densest network of air quality sensors anywhere in the world, allowing us to identify where pollution is worst. The results are regularly updated on the website.
The project also works with households to measure indoor air quality. The sensors silently test for smoke in the home and record when people were using heating. Households receive a personalised assessment of the heating and air quality in their home.
Having identified the issues, the next stage will be to test different types of intervention to improve air quality inside and outside homes.
Read more about the project and the 2019 findings.
What is ORC doing?
Under ORC regulations you are not allowed to burn coal in Arrowtown, and woodburners must comply with tight rules about emission discharge and efficiency.
For over a decade ORC offered a subsidy to help replace non-complying burners, but that ended in 2020. Even if you have a complying woodburner you'll still be up for a fine if you burn anything but dry, well-seasoned wood – both damp, green wood and rubbish produce too much smoke.
Compliance monitoring and penalties
If the ORC finds you are using a non-complying fire, or producing excessive smoke by burning unseasoned wood, you will get a formal letter requiring improvement within three months or an infringement notice will be issued (a $300 fine for each and every day the offence occurs).
What are you doing?
Reducing winter pollution is an uphill battle that Otago Regional Council can't fight on its own. There's plenty we can do as residents to help.
To report smoke pollution, call the ORC Pollution Hotline 0800 800 033.
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Upgrade your heating
If you have a non-complying burner, replace it!
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Use dry firewood
Season firewood for at least a year, and store it under cover with air circulating around it. Be aware that sometimes wood that is sold as 'dry' or 'seasoned' is nothing of the sort. A good way to test it is to knock two larger pieces together. The sound will be a dull thunk if the wood is too damp to burn.
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Start hot
A fire is smokiest when it's starting. Use plenty of paper and kindling when you're building your fire, but leave space at the top of the fire box to allow flames to develop and burn off the gases released.
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Stay hot
Before using the low burn setting, ensure the fire has been on high setting for long enough that the wood is burning well and the burner has reached full temperature.
What are you doing?
Reducing winter pollution is an uphill battle that Otago Regional Council can't fight on its own. There's plenty we can do as residents to help.
- Upgrade your heating: If you have a non-complying burner, replace it!
- Use dry firewood: Season firewood for at least a year, and store it under cover with air circulating around it. Be aware that sometimes wood that is sold as 'dry' or 'seasoned' is nothing of the sort. A good way to test it is to knock two larger pieces together. The sound will be a dull thunk if the wood is too damp to burn.
- Start hot: A fire is smokiest when it's starting. Use plenty of paper and kindling when you're building your fire, but leave space at the top of the fire box to allow flames to develop and burn off the gases released.
- Stay hot: Before using the low burn setting, ensure the fire has been on high setting for long enough that the wood is burning well and the burner has reached full temperature.
To report smoke pollution, call the ORC Pollution Hotline 0800 800 033.