Careful balance struck in new plan for clean air

Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced a new plan for clean air at the Bluegreens Forum in Akaroa that toughens measures to reduce pollution but gives councils more time to meet air quality standards.

“New Zealand needs to strike a careful balance between the pace we improve air quality and the impacts on jobs and household costs,” Dr Smith said. “We need to replace our old and open domestic fires, invest in cleaner technology in our factories, and continue to shift to modern low-polluting vehicles. These changes need to be paced to maximise the health benefits while minimising the economic costs,” Dr Smith said.

"Change is needed because Labour's 2004 policy was poorly implemented, unrealistic and unfair. Fifteen airsheds including Auckland, Christchurch and many provincial centres covering 40% of our population are unlikely to comply by the 2013 deadline. The blunt enforcement provision only penalises industry prohibiting new or existing industrial consents being renewed, and puts at risk an estimated 17,000 jobs."

The key changes to the air quality standards are:

·         Extending the compliance timeframe to achieve not more than one exceedance a year from 2013 to 2016 for areas with moderate air pollution [fewer than 10 exceedances per year, e.g. Auckland (5), Napier (4), Blenheim (4), Hamilton (2)]*

·         Extending the compliance timetable to achieve not more than one exceedance a year from 2013 to 2020 for areas with high air pollution [greater than 10 exceedances per year, e.g. Timaru (39), Nelson (37), Rotorua (30), Christchurch (21), Hastings (18), Ashburton (16)]* with a requirement to get below three exceedances by 2016.

·         Amending the exceptional events such as volcanic eruptions, bush fires and Australian dust storms from the count of exceedance events.

"These timing changes have been heavily influenced by cost benefit analysis. This shows the slower timetable in the new policy reduces the health benefits slightly from $1911 million to $1746 million, but also significantly reduces the economic costs from $867 million to $196 million,” Dr Smith said. “This reflects the lesser costs of achieving the improvements in air quality over a more realistic timetable. The new standard is also complemented by measures to reduce air pollution from homes, industry and vehicles.

"This Government is investing heavily in assisting households shift to clean heat with 20,000 homes converted in two years (800 were achieved 1999-2008). The new national standard will also introduce a prohibition on the building of new household open fire places in all polluted airsheds from September 2012.  An open fire produces eight times as much air pollution as an approved log burner and 20 times as much as a pellet fire and cannot be justified in areas suffering air pollution problems.

"The new national standard also includes a mandatory offset regime for new industrial consents in polluted airsheds from September 2012.  This measure will replace the blunt tool of prohibiting any new consent where areas fail to meet the required air quality standard.

"Progressive changes in rules for second hand cars in 2008, 2009 and next year will reduce particulate pollution by 90% and similar changes are being made for new and heavy vehicles. Fuel standards are also progressively being improved.

"This new air quality policy follows on from concerns raised at the 2009 Job Summit, the Technical Advisory Group report in late 2008, and the consultation on the draft changes in 2010. This extensive consultation and analysis has produced a robust policy that will deliver clean air at an affordable cost."

 * Average exceedances 2005-2009

For more information on the Air Quality Standard go to:  http://www.mfe.govt.nz/laws/standards/air-quality/review/index.html