Nick Smith29 January,
2011 - 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
Thank You
