Rotorua finally shrugs off polluted air status
For the first time in twenty years, Rotorua residents can wake up and officially breath in clean air.
Photo:
RNZ/Sally Round
For the first time in twenty years, Rotorua residents can wake up and officially breath in clean air.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council councillor Lyall Thurston said it had taken a collective effort from the community, councils, government and public health officials for Rotorua to officially shed its 'polluted' air quality status.
"It's a major day for Rotorua and New Zealand, in particular in terms of public health," he said.
Rotorua has long struggled with poor winter-time air quality, due to
smoke from wood burners getting trapped
by Rotorua's unique landscape.
Smoke contains tiny particles, called particulate matter, and there is a national standard for the amount of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less (called PM10) which can be in the air.
For a time, Rotorua was the city with the worst winter-time air pollution in the country and in 2008 it recorded 37 days when PM10 air pollution exceeded the national standard.
To remove the polluted status, Rotorua was required to have no more than one breach of the national standard a year, for five years in a row.
In 2020 it recorded its first year with only one day exceeding the standard. The following four years it had no days exceeding the standard, meaning the 'polluted' status can finally be removed.
Thurston said there had been a massive education campaign to inform people about the need to clean up the air in Rotorua.
"The main issues have been to get people to install
compliant wood burners
because wood burners are clearly the main culprit that we have been dealing with," he said.
Thurston said the regional council had "been more than generous" in helping residents replace dirty heating for a cleaner option. This included the Rotorua Hot Swap Scheme which ran from 2010 - 2021, giving low interest loans or grants to households who replaced their non-compliant burners with cleaner, more efficient heating methods, such as ultra-low emission burners and heat pumps.
Thurston said while the milestone marked significant progress to improving the city's air quality, the journey towards cleaner air in Rotorua continued.
"I think the battle will always be there, but through compliance and rules and the goodwill of the Rotorua community, we will be breathing clean air going forward for as long as we possibly can," he said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Quinton Rihari loses Dunedin flat after threatening neighbours
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter of Photo: 123rf A man who threw plastic chairs at his frightened neighbours before letting off a gas bottle in the shared hallway and shouting "Boom, boom, you can all die", has lost his Salvation Army flat. Quinton Rihari couldn't be reached for the Tenancy Tribunal's hearing, where the Salvation Army sought to terminate the tenancy on his central Dunedin flat, saying he'd threatened to assault other tenants in the complex. According to the tribunal's recently released decision, Rihari received written warnings about his behaviour at his Thomas Burns Street flat on three occasions. The first was on 27 December last year, when he broke a painting in the corridor during a fight outside his room. It began at 3.30am and lasted for an hour and a half. Then, in February, he verbally abused tenants when they asked him to turn his music down. Two months later, on 14 April, the Salvation Army says Rihari became angry and threw plastic chairs off a shared balcony, frightening other tenants. After returning to his room, Rihari let off a 9kg LPG bottle in the hallway, yelling, "Boom, boom, you can all die". Police were called and took Rihari away, only for him to return and begin yelling at the other tenants, calling them "narks". Later that day, he told another tenant he was going to "punch her head in". Again, police were called and Rihari was taken away. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, the tribunal can terminate a tenancy if it's satisfied a tenant has engaged in antisocial behaviour on three separate occasions during a 90-day period and received written notice on each occasion. Antisocial behaviour includes harassment or any act (whether intentional or not) that reasonably causes significant alarm, distress or nuisance. The decision found that while Rihari received separate notices for each incident, the three incidents spanned 108 days, outside the 90-day period. Despite this, the tribunal found Rihari had threatened to harm his neighbours over the gas cylinder incident and threatened to assault another neighbour. As a result, it agreed to terminate Rihari's tenancy. When the Salvation Army was approached for comment late Tuesday afternoon, its media officer Kai Sanders said no one was available for comment, adding this wasn't something the organisation would usually comment on because of its strict rules around privacy. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
NRL: Wounded NZ Warriors re-arrrange line-up to face Cronulla Sharks
Rocco Berry was forced from the field against Souths with a hamstring twinge. Photo: David Neilson/Photosport Warriors v Sharks Kickoff 7.30pm Saturday, 7 June Sharks Stadium Sydney Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Injury-plagued NZ Warriors centre Rocco Berry has joined co-captain Mitch Barnett on the sidelines for their away game against Cronulla Sharks on Saturday. After having a fully fit squad to choose from last week - the first time since 2023 - coach Andrew Webster has had to juggle his line-up again, with Barnett ruled out for the season with a ruptured ACL in his right knee and Berry hampered by a hamstring twinge that forced him from the field against South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday. Berry has struggled to stay on the park for the Warriors after missing the start of the season with a shoulder injury, withdrawing from his scheduled return against Wests Tigers with hamstring trouble, picking up a suspension in his eventual return against Melbourne Storm and then missing three more games with his dodgy hammy. He has managed just four appearances so far this campaign. Webster has addressed Berry's absence by shifting versatile second-rower Kurt Capewell into the midfield, but also has specialist centre Ali Leiataua on an extended bench. Teenage sensation Leka Halasima has moved into the starting pack, where he has lined up in six of his 12 appearances this season. Without Barnett, Jackson Ford has been promoted from the bench to start in the front row. Meanwhile, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has named former Warriors front-rower Addin Fonua Blake to face his old team for the first time, since his early release to return across the Tasman. Kiwis winger Ronaldo Mulitalo is suspended, so Hamilton-born Sione Katoa makes his comeback from shoulder reconstruction, while NZ-born players Mawene Hiroti, Oregon Kaufusi, Briton Nikora and Braden Hamlin-Uele also named. Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith Reserves: 18 Tom Alex, 20 Sam Healey, 21 Tanah Boyd, 22 Ali Leiataua, 23 Taine Tuaupiki Sharks: 1 Will Kennedy, 2 Sione Katoa, 3 Jesse Ramien, 4 KL Iro, 5 Mawene Hiroti, 6 Braydon Trindall, 7 Nico Hynes, 8 Addin Fonua-Blake, 9 Blayke Brailey, 10 Oregon Kaufusi, 11 Briton Nikora, 12 Teig Wilton, 13 Cam McInnes Interchange: 14 Daniel Atkinson, 15 Jesse Colquhoun, 16 Siosifa Talakai, 17 Braden Hamlin-Uele Reserves: 18 Billy Burns, 19 Tuku Hau Tapuha, 20 Hopeha Puru, 21 Jayden Berrell, 22 Niwhai Puru Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rugby: Chiefs captain extends stay and targets 100 game milestone
Luke Jacobson captain of the Chiefs. Photo: Jeremy Ward Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby for another two years. The loose forward made his Chiefs debut in in 2018 and has earned 88 caps for the side. After making his All Blacks debut the following year, he has played 23 games for New Zealand. Currently in his second year as Chiefs captain, Jacobson has guided the Super Rugby Pacific side through back-to-back finals campaigns and is excited about what the team can achieve together in the coming years. "It's not just the results that keep you around - it's the environment and the team culture. Between the coaches, management, and the players, there's a good group of people here and they make it pretty hard to leave," Jacobson said. "I really enjoy my rugby here. I'm able to grow my game and grow my leadership. I grew up supporting this team and after playing with them for eight years, it's a team that continues to really align with my values. "I'd love to play 100 games for the Chiefs, it would be a huge milestone for me and one I would be really proud to achieve." Outgoing Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan said Jacobson's leadership had been key in shaping the character of the team. "He leads with integrity humility, and total commitment to the jersey and that's respected by everyone. His decision to re-sign speaks volumes about the culture we've built and the direction we're heading." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
