Bay of Plenty locals asked to share thoughts on tighter air quality rules

Bay of Plenty District Council regulatory project officer Chris Brewer said air quality was an increasing issue in the region. Photo / File

Bay of Plenty Regional Council wants to know what locals think about updated air quality rules in the region.

Proposed Plan Change 13 will be notified tomorrowand public consultation will run until April 12.

The plan change helps the regional council control discharges of contaminants into air for the whole Bay of Plenty, including coastal marine areas.

Some of the proposed changes will affect people who have previously burned rubbish on their properties.

The regional council is responsible for managing air quality in the Bay of Plenty, and regulatory project officer Chris Brewer said it was an increasing issue in the region.

"Air quality is the cause of most complaints to our pollution hotline, 60 per cent in 2016/17, and this number continues to grow year-on-year."

Senior planner Karen Parcell said it was important the regional council took the opportunity to update the rules to ensure discharges of contaminants were adequately controlled.

Plan Change 13 was previously known as the Draft New Regional Air Plan, which was released in April 2016 for community feedback.

During the six-week consultation period, the regional council ran community workshops and open days in Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane, with community input being incorporated into the proposed change.

"The response during the consultation period was excellent. This is an important set of rules for the Bay of Plenty and we encourage people to check it out."

To find out more click here, or contact Karen Parcell on 0800 884 880 or karen.parcell@boprc.govt.nz.