Outdoor burning causes problems on Taieri Plain

Smoke from a fire clouds the air on the Taieri Plain last week. Photo supplied.
Smoke from a fire clouds the air on the Taieri Plain last week. Photo supplied.
The Otago Regional Council is investigating seven cases where outdoor bonfires possibly caused air pollution on the Taieri Plain last week.

The fires were lit when there were low inversion conditions.

The smoke hit the inversion layer and then drifted, hanging low over the land and spreading out over wide areas across the Taieri, council environmental services manager Martin King said.

Several complaints were made to the regional council as a result, he said.

Staff spent half a day investigating one complaint of excessive smoke and saw other potential breaches.

The council was investigating seven possible breaches.

Repeat offenders could be prosecuted.

"It's a situation where it's all very well having a fire permit, but that does not mean people can burn whenever they like," Mr King said.

People needed to read the permit and check regional council rules for the discharge to air, which primarily said people should not cause objectionable and offensive smoke beyond a property boundary.

"Landowners needed to factor in prevailing wind conditions when deciding whether to light an outdoor fire," he said.

If emissions were found to be offensive and objectionable under the Otago Air Plan, landowners might be subject to enforcement action.

He encouraged people to deal with autumn prunings and other garden material by composting or shredding.

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