Rotorua Air Quality Control Bylaw comes into force

The new rules were about helping to improve Rotorua's poor air quality in winter. Photo / File

New rules for home heating wood, coal and multifuel fires come into force from today.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Air Quality Control Bylaw for Rotorua officially started today, however, help was still available for people to make the switch to clean heating.

The new rules, which have been more than a decade in the making, mean residents can no longer use wood burners installed before September 1 2005 in the Rotorua Airshed.

All coal and multifuel burners will also be illegal to use, regardless of when they were installed. Bay of Plenty Regional Council's senior regulatory project officer Marion Henton said the new rules were about helping to improve Rotorua's poor air quality in winter.

Changes had already been noted as more people switch to cleaner forms of heating, she said.

"Since 2008 we've helped almost 3000 property owners replace their non-compliant burners with either a compliant wood burner or alternative heating."

Henton said there were options for everyone, including free replacement heating for Community Service Cardholders with non-compliant burners.

"It's important for people to talk to us early, so they are sorted by the time the temperature drops."

Rotorua had a wintertime air quality problem and it was typically the most vulnerable in the community who suffer with the high levels of smoke pollution, she said.

"Rotorua still has a way to go but thanks to the thousands of homeowners who have upgraded their old fires the community is noticing the difference."