The beginning of the open fire season has kept the Otago Regional Council (ORC) pollution team busy responding to complaints of outdoor burning causing offensive or objectionable air pollution for neighbouring properties.

Between June 2020 and June 2021, the ORC received 355 complaints about outdoor burning, up by more than 242 complaints in the preceding year.

ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said there are no loopholes for air pollution: If your smoke is noxious or dangerous, or is having an offensive or objectionable effect on your neighbours, you must extinguish your fire immediately.

“We understand there’s a need for some rural properties to undertake a controlled burnoff, however, if that smoke crosses your property boundary and has a nuisance effect on your neighbours, you will be in breach of Otago’s Air Plan rules.”

More than 40 of the complaints came following a burnoff at land owned by Universal Developments in Lake Hāwea last month.

The amount of burnoff at the company’s Longview SHA site on the south side of Cemetery Road was described as “colossal” by one resident and the decision to light the fire on a clear, windless day was questioned. 

A year earlier, a burnoff at the neighbouring Timsfield development led to 27 calls to the ORC.

Tami issued a warning about burnoffs.

“It’s good that we’re being notified of these non-compliant burnoffs, but it would be even better if property owners picked the most appropriate days to undertake them and minimise air pollution for their neighbours,” Tami said. 

“The Air Plan rules are in place to protect the community from unnecessary health and environmental impacts.”

The following tips can help people to avoid smoky burn-offs:

• Choose burn-off days with a slight breeze to take the smoke away.
• Avoid days where an inversion layer of warm air is present.
• Only burn dry material. 
• Do not burn treated, stained or painted wood, or rubbish of any kind under any circumstances.

ORC’s Pollution Hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 0800 800 033.

PHOTO: Wanaka App