Five hundred object to extending clean-air zone

Press, 30 August 1988, Page 9

Five hundred object to extending clean-air zone

More than 500 objections to the extension of the Christchurch City Council’s clean-air zone have been received. Objections will close tomorrow.

The council’s director of environmental health, Mr David Batten, said yesterday the objections would be forwarded to the Minister of Health, who would make a decision on the extension.

The council’s present clean-air zone prohibits open fires being installed in new houses, but does not cover open fires in existing houses in place before the zone. Under the extension proposed, the zone would include all properties and would effectively ban open fires from January, 1992.

“That is as things stand now,” Mr Batten said. “Things may well change in three years if someone invents a smokeless fuel but as things are now, open fires will not be allowed from 1992.”

He emphasised that the council’s move to extend the clean-air zone was intended to improve Christchurch air. It was not aimed specifically at open fires, but those fires were a source of smoke.

Mr Batten said 'that at present the council investigated complaints of smoke under the clean-air zone for those houses it covered, and under the Clean Air Act for those the zone did not.

Under the zone, the council could require householders to take the

“best practical means” to not emit smoke — that included installing approved appliances — but under the act the requirement was in effect to not make smoke. For those houses not covered at present by the zone, the council could under the act require the householders to not make smoke. If the source of the smoke nuisance was an open fire, the council could stop its use.

“We have two sets of regulations. Extending the clean-air zone would tidy that up,” Mr Batten said.

Mr Batten said that many of the objections lodged against the extension of the zone gave no reasons for the objection. He was uncertain how much weight these would

carry with the Minister. The council has sought money from the Minister to help people facing hardship to change from open fires to alternative heating.

“The council wants Government support for a programme of public awareness and also for assisting people to make the conversion,” Mr Batten said.

He did not expect a decision from the Minister on that request until he had decided on the zone extension.

“At present people are confused about what it means. Having so many objections is good from the point of view that many of those objecting are those who will need help to convert.”