It was time for the Otago Regional Council to reconsider how to more effectively manage adverse effects of controlled burn-offs, which have the potential to affect the tourism and film industries, an Otago Regional Council candidate says.
Jon Mitchell, of Queenstown, said the farming sector was ''well aware of'' and sympathetic to other industries in the area and a collaborative development of a ''locally relevant guideline'' for controlled burn management in the region would be a ''great start''.
On Friday, the Otago Daily Times reported the ORC would be discussing options in the coming weeks to remedy air pollution caused by burn-offs, typically undertaken by farmers during periods of settled weather between August and October.
Mr Mitchell, standing for the Dunstan Constituency, said although the regional council's Regional Plan Air described managed burning as having ''potential significant visual and nuisance impacts, particularly on ski areas and in national parks'', it made no mention of the potential impact on the film industry, an ''increasingly important part of the regional economy''.
''Despite the potential adverse effects of controlled burns on the tourism and film industries, the Air Plan lists the practice as a 'permitted activity' outside communities with existing air quality problems.
''This means that the regional council has no opportunity to manage or mitigate the effects of this significant aspect of hill country land management.
''The regional council's hands-off approach to this and other important issues needs to be brought into the 21st century.''
He suggested the new Otago Rural Fire District could make the location and timings of all controlled burn permit applications available on a website, ''ideally with a map of planned and actual fires'' to allow businesses and communities to plan their activities around those events.
It would also enable people to determine if smoke was from a planned fire or ''something more sinister''.
