Air Pollution in Richmond

Each winter in Richmond, there are up to 40 nights with unacceptable air pollution. That’s a similar number to Christchurch and Nelson. The good news is the number appears to be falling.

Air pollution can create major difficulties for large numbers of people with respiratory problems. Of the polluted winter air Richmond people breathe, 84% has been calculated to come from solid fuel burning for home heating.

Richmond air quality is monitored each winter providing data for analysis of trends and spacial patterns. Tasman District Council is using two methods to try to improve air quality in the district. These are:

  • Education and advocacy, including:
    • Producing good practice guides;
    • Newspaper/newsline and radio articles;
    • Meetings with producer groups;
    • Liaison with rural fire authorities;
    • Support and encouragement of wood retailers to improve performance;
    • Provision of information about alternatives to burning waste such as the Agrecovery Programme for recycling of plastic agrichemical containers.
  • Regulations, including:
    • Rules for new domestic home heating burners;
    • Rules requiring replacement of domestic home heating burners on any site at the point of property sale;
    • Rules requiring that the discharge must not result in any objectionable or offensive smoke, odour, or deposition of particles beyond the property boundary;
    • It is prohibited to cause discharge to air from burning substances such as insulated electrical cables, any radioactive materials, rubber, bitumen, batteries, waste oil, asbestos products, treated timber, particle board or fibre board and plastic.

The information gained through monitoring is used to ensure that these council initiatives are effective in improving air quality.

Tasman District Council Richmond Air Quality Report 2010

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