Hawke's Bay fruit growers trial burn off tool to lower winter air pollution

A burn-off near Te Mata Estate vineyard, Havelock North. Photo / Warren Buckland

A partnership between Hawke's Bay orchardists and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council aims to reduce winter air pollution.

An online tool has been developed by HBRC to help orchardists know when the conditions are appropriate to light fires, after council was approached by the Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers Association.

Air Quality scientist Kathleen Kozyniak says it can be difficult for orchardists to make on the day decisions around burning.

"A few orchardists are trialling the tool through winter and will give us feedback as it needs to work for them."

HBRC's Air Plan prohibits burning below 10km an hour when it is considered too still for smoke to clear, but over 25km/h it becomes a fire risk.

"You'd be surprised how often the wind is below 10km across the plains."

Council rules allow burning of orchard and vineyard prunings for orchard development or removing diseased material, although in Napier and Hastings cities all outdoor burning is prohibited.

The tool recognises where the phone or laptop is being used and pulls together data from the council's monitoring sites.

The data gives air quality, wind speed, air shed boundaries and uses air temperature at different heights to indicate whether smoke might be trapped at low levels by a temperature inversion.

It then displays a burning status, either "don't burn" or "caution".

If it displays "caution" conditions are suitable for burning.

HBRC's integrated catchment manager Iain Maxwell said fruit growers depend on outdoor burning.

"But the plume can be very visible and can affect a wide area so the council often gets complaints from the public.

"By providing a tool that orchardists can use, we hope that there will be fewer smoke incidents."

He said the tool is innovative and will help reduce the risks associated with winter burning.

"It will help responsible orchardists to really get it right."

The tool is still in trial with orchardists and is not located on council's website at present.