Lawrence Yule on Air Quality Review Panel

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says taking another look at Air Quality standards and their compliance timeline could save Hawke’s Bay residents and businesses from serious financial implications.

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith announce in Napier yesterday that a panel of five would review the standards and the 2013 deadline for councils to comply.

Mayor Yule has been asked to sit on a technical advisory group after he raised the cost of complying at the recent Job Summit. It would cost $95m for Hawke’s Bay to comply with the standards.

“Many people are more concerned about keeping their jobs than spending as much as $4000 on installing cleaner forms of heating at the moment. We all want clean air but is the problem in Hawke’s Bay significant enough to enforce that sort of cost on our people right now?”

Currently if the standards are not meet by 2013 the ministry would enforce a ban on industrial consents being issued

“That would have a significant financial affect on our region. I think it’s practical to review those requirements given the current economic conditions.”

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has come under considerable pressure from residents for trying to comply with the standards with its Clean Heat policy - which would mean more than 20,000 Hawke’s Bay home owners would have to replace their fireplaces.

Mayor Yule says the insulation package announced by government last week will be a massive step toward warmer, more efficient homes.

“I thank the government for taking a common sense approach to the standards. The advisory group needs to consider all the evidence but I feel an extension to the compliance timeline to say 2020 would be welcomed by many.”

Since the Air Quality standards were introduced in 2005 many cities have reduced their air pollution but Napier and Hastings are two of ten cities unlikely to comply with the standards by 2013.