Options are being considered to phase out non-low emission wood burners in Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell - as well as Arrowtown, Milton and Mosgiel within the next 20 years.

The Otago Regional Council (ORC) was currently refreshing its approach to managing air quality by reviewing its Regional Plan: Air, but councillors said they wanted more engagement with communities before any draft strategy came back for consideration.

At a workshop last week, councillors met with staff to decide what the regional council's level of ambition was for managing the region’s air quality issues.

Breaches of National air quality standards across Otago have continued to increase, with 37 in 2024 (11 in Alexandra, 25 in Arrowtown and one in Mosgiel) last year. That was 16 more than in 2023.

Led by scientist – air quality, Sarah Harrison and Dr Emily Wilton, the workshop discussed whether to prioritise regulatory compliance versus better human health outcomes.

Staying with the status quo meant only achieving an 18 per cent improvement in ambient air quality by 2040, which would not meet Ministry for the Environment (NESAQ) or World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

 It would also continue to have health impacts of $106million, as modelled by consultants.

The ORC brought to the table two new options for the proposed strategy - the first being to phase out non-low emission wood burners over 20 years. That would achieve 42 per cent improvement in air quality and bring the health costs down to just $73 million.

A second option to meet World Health Organisation standards was to completely phase out all burners in Alexandra over 20 years, with a 49 per cent improvement of air quality.

Poor air quality over Cromwell during winter. FILE SHOT

Dr Wilton said Alexandra was targeted for that because the meteorology and topography was “extremely conducive” to high pollution, and required more intervention work than Arrowtown.

While Arrowtown also had elevated pollution levels as well, it was not as bad because it was almost all from domestic home heating, “and so therefore the effectiveness measures targeting domestic home heating is greater overall,” she said.

Dr Wilton was aware of the issues regarding power outages in Central Otago in recent years and the impact that would have on people relying only on electricity for heating.

Cr Gary Kelliher, who had started engaging with the Central Otago community on the issues, said anything above the status quo at the moment was too extreme.

“Anything above status quo will have substantial implications and create cold towns with old housing stock.”

Cr Michael Laws said he also did not want to see wood burners banned anywhere, and communities needed to lead the decision making process.

Highlighting the current energy crisis that was currently affecting people’s quality of life, wood burners have always been the most cost effective option to keeping houses warm, he said.

Chair Gretchen Robertson acknowledged more engagement was necessary before a draft strategy came back in August, but said they still had to meet those air quality regulations.

“We do have to take that seriously.”

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