Paparua dismisses plan to limit farm burning

Press, 30 August 1978, Page 17

Paparua dismisses plan to limit farm burning

Air pollution from the burning of big piles of farm vegetation is worrying a Paparua County Council officer but the council’s finance committee has said nothing ■ihould be done about it. The county's chief health nspector (Mr I. G. Dawson) -aid that early in August a armer had burned a big pile of trees with the help of diesel. waste oil, and up to 30 tyres, including tractor tyres. The resulting paii of black smoke extended from the; Prebtyleton area to New Brighton, said Mr Dawson — and the trees were still there. Councillors might consider a compromise, in which most burning would be done

only in April and September, he said. i use months had been chosen because they are relatively turbulent, and were at each end of the normal fire ban season. The Clean. Air Act was not enforceable against (rural practices, and there was. ' .1 "very large” problem that [he could not ignore and still [be fair to industrial uses, bound by the law, said Mt Dawson. But a majority of the (committee was adamant that no action should be taken in (such cases. Cr W. J. Baker said it would be “trying to tell farmers how to run their businesses. “If we want to talk about • the urban area, fair enough

. . . who the dickens do we think we are?" he said. "As a rural councillor, in no way couid I support a thing like this," said Cr A. Y. Snuker, to the inspector s suggestion. “It is an example of the failure to understand the need tor this i type of activity tn the rural area." Mr Dawson said that burning stubble could be kept out of his suggested i compromise, but not burning ! of such things as tyres i "It would entail disposal to a rubbish dump of combustible material where inis was considered practical." he said, “and where large trees are involved, these may need to be split to assist combustion.”