Smoggy winter for Chch predicted

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 17

Smoggy winter for Chch predicted

Christchurch is in for a very smoggy winter this year, according to the president of the Clean Air Society (Mr P. V. Neary) in his report to the society’s annual meeting in Christchurch. The meeting was attended by 10 persons, and there were 25 apologies. Mr Neary said that the Government had ignored the objectives of the $972 Clean Air Act. The recent electricity price increases would stimulate the demand tor coal at the worst possible time, ne said. ‘Many Christchurch households s have large stocks of coal which will add to the smoke load

later in the year,” said Mr Neary. “Intense advertising of solid fuel heating appliances will result in many people reverting to this form of heating, and will continue smoke pollution. “The Government has made no attempt to support the clean air legislation already passed through parliament,” he said. “Requests by the Christchurch City Council to extend the scope of clean air zones to cover i :.v appliances put into existing homes have not been approved.” Mr Neary said it was vitally important for future generations that only approved appliances were installed in clean air zones.