Bay of Plenty Regional Council Senior Regulatory Project Officer Marion Henton.
The use of heat-seeking technology to smoke out unlawful home fires in Rotorua has sparked concerns about privacy and fairness to people without other heating options.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is using an $8270 infrared camera to detect properties using non-compliant wood burners in an effort to improveRotorua's winter air quality, which is among New Zealand's worst.
The camera is used at night, from the roadside, and pointed at rooftops to see if there is any heat coming from wood and solid fuel burners banned from being used in 2020.
The new camera shows hot spots, like in this flue. Photo / Supplied
In response to a Rotorua Daily Post story about the cameras, readers raised concerns about privacy and others felt it was unfair on low-income families who may not have money to heat their homes in other ways as power prices rise.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council compliance manager Sam Weiss said there had been a two-and-a-half-year grace period since the rules changed, outlawing the use of some emissions-heavy burners.
For those facing heating challenges, he said there were loans and grants offered to help with upgrading and replacing the old wood burners.
"These options were widely promoted, and we connected directly with vulnerable community groups to ensure that they were aware of the opportunity."
Other homeowners, including landlords, were able to take out 10-year loans to install replacement heating and insulation.
Tenants should use the compliant alternative heating source provided, he said.
"If tenants have no compliant source of heating we recommend they contact their landlord or property manager and ask them to provide it. Landlords have obligations under the Healthy Homes Standard to do so."
The council started funding retrofitting of low-income homes with compliant wood burners/heat pumps and insulation from 2007/2008 to June 2021.
Low-income homeowners that met the council's grant criteria received free replacement heating and insulation.
Owner-occupiers can check their eligibility for EECA's Warmer Kiwi Homes heating grant.
In winter, about 90 per cent of emissions come from home heating in Rotorua, according to Land, Air and Water NZ. The tiny particulates can cause health issues in certain quantities.
Weiss said the young, the elderly and those with respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses were most susceptible to the health impacts from poor air quality.
A fire was non-compliant if Rotorua Lakes Council had not issued a Solid Fuel Burner Building Consent for the burner after September 2005.
All burners capable of burning coal were also non-compliant regardless of consent.
The compliance initiative aimed to give an indication of numbers over time.
"Our compliance officers have used the thermal imaging camera several times over the past week and some non-compliant burner use has already been detected," Weiss said.
As well as the camera, the council also had a 24/7 pollution hotline members of the public could call, and did checks for smoke during the day.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council senior regulatory project officer Marion Henton with the new camera. Photo / Laura Smith
Staff liaise with Rotorua Lakes Council for further information before following up with the occupants.
"The Rotorua community have become less tolerant of those who use non-compliant burners."
He said air quality in Rotorua has improved over the years as homeowners replaced old smoky fires, but it was important to continue this work.
"The cleaner the air, the healthier the community."
Council senior regulatory project officer Marion Henton said the cameras could not see through walls or glass.
They were only used to detect thermal energy emitting from chimneys and flues.
"We just shine it on the roof. It tells us immediately if a fire is lit."
Council has for the last 14 years been working to improve air quality in the city.
"It started off voluntary, and slowly we introduced some rules around what fires can be installed in the airshed and what fires can be used."
She and fellow compliance team member Kiri Graham were using the camera in places where they knew there were potentially non-compliant wood burners to see if they were being used.
"They only break the rule when they light that fire."
The regional council could not confirm the number of homes with non-compliant burners in Rotorua.
