ORC asks polluted town residents to wait 20 years for a fix

How long will Arrowtown residents have to wait before they enjoy acceptable levels of clean air during winter?

Last Thursday, discussion at an Otago Regional Council (ORC) strategy workshop for improving Air Quality in the Otago region suggests it could be some time.

The ORC’s Draft Air Quality Strategy for reducing winter air pollution in the entire region involves a clean-up process which would be rolled out in phases, the final phase being completed in 2045.

This protracted time-frame would allow for at least 20 years use of wood burners currently installed in the region’s homes.

The current draft plan would see all Solid Fuel Burners which do not meet strict ULEB standards being phased out of homes over five year intervals. 2030 is the planned deadline for the first phase and will apply to non-compliant burners installed before 2010. By 2045, the final phase-out of burners installed pre 2025, should see installation of clean air heating options across the region.

This applies to Otago’s Air Zone 1 areas including Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell and Arrowtown.

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