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RNZ News
11 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
New Zealand's air quality improving, but winter smoke still an issue
Smoke from wood burners and coal fires builds up in calm, cold conditions. Photo: Dave Allen / NIWA CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Air quality is improving across many parts of the country, but the use of fires as heating creates a spike in pollutants during winter. Air pollution has detrimental health impacts, with older adults, children, and other vulnerable groups most at risk. Dr Chris Daughney, chief science advisor for the collective of regional and unitary councils, Te Uru Kahika, said there was generally a spike in pollutants during winter, as smoke from wood burners and coal fires built up in calm, cold conditions, and affected the health of whole communities. However, the LAWA data showed improvements overall, with air quality trends improving for 30 of the 44 long-term PM10 monitoring sites over the past 10, and only 4 sites seeing a decline. But when it came to guidelines for smaller particles, most places exceeded international guidelines. Particulate matter is tiny airborne particles - naturally occurring like dust, pollen or sea salt, or human-made through the burning of fuels - and their health impact depends on particle size. PM10 refers to particles less than 10 micrometres in size which can enter human airways. PM2.5 refers to finer particles, less than 2.5 micrometres in size, which can penetrate deep into human lungs, even the bloodstream. LAWA chairperson Dr Tim Davie explained it was not yet mandatory to monitor PM2.5 under the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NES-AQ), and the science on its effects was relatively recent. But 13 regions were already actively monitoring it anyway, and the number of monitored sites had increased in recent years. Davie said the overall improvement in air quality was thanks to individuals making good decisions about how they heated their homes or travelled around their cities. "It's not councils investing, it's people investing - buying low emissions wood burners and changing their heating to electric and buying electric cars. "Councils set policies around that that encourages it, but it's actual people out there who are making those investments and making the changes, and that's really great to see." Thirty of 44 monitored towns and cities show improving air quality over the past ten years - between 2015 and 2024. Ten sites had an indeterminate trend, which meant there was not enough statistical certainty to determine if air quality had been improving or degrading. Howeever, in 2024, only three monitoring sites met both the daily and annual World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for PM2.5 - Whareroa Marae in Mount Maunganui, Whangārei, and central Wellington. The highest PM2.5 annual average concentrations were seen in Tokoroa, Pūtāruru, Kaiapoi, and Timaru, where winter woodsmoke from home heating was trapped by local topography and weather conditions. LAWA air quality science lead Teresa Aberkane explained air quality responded to human behaviour. "Many places like Timaru, Tokoroa, and Kaiapoi have taken active steps to reduce winter emissions, and we're seeing those actions reflected in the data." * It's important to note not everywhere is monitored, and these levels include industrial and rural activities as well as natural sources (such as salt spray) in addition to particles caused by home heating. The 10 most polluted, in order (Most polluted) Washdyke, Canterbury Mount Maunganui (Totara St Rail Crossing), Bay of Plenty Awatoto, Hawke's Bay Gore (Main Street), Southland Penrose, Auckland Gisborne central Tokoroa, Waikato Putaruru, Waikato Mount Maunganui (Ranch Rd), Bay of Plenty Timaru (Anzac Square), Canterbury The 10 least polluted Rotorua (Edmund), Bay of Plenty Lower Hutt (Birch Lane), Wellington Wainuiomata (Bowling Club), Wellington Thames, Waikato Patumahoe, Auckland Morrinsville, Waikato Tauranga (Otumoetai), Bay of Plenty Upper Hutt (Savage Park), Wellington Taumarunui, King Country (Least polluted) Reefton (school), West Coast
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Plead For Bipartisan Resource Management Act Reform
Article – RNZ Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes. , Journalist Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes when legislation replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA) next year. The government has announced sweeping changes to the rules governing councils' oversight of everything – from housing, to mining, to agriculture – under the RMA, and these have been released for public feedback. Speaking on behalf of Te Uru Kahika – Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa, Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said when policy resets every three years, regulators scramble to deliver the new government's national direction. 'As regional councils we have effectively seen these national instruments landing on our lap as regularly as every three years. The music just has to stop. 'We need certainty, we need to be able to have the chance as regulators to actually bed in policies and rules and provide a greater certainty to people who want to do things – who want to build, who want to farm, who want to mine – because the bigger block on those things at the moment, at national and regional levels, is that we continue to change the rules.' Ponter said bipartisanship on regulations was needed to provide certainty. 'I don't want to be in the position in three or six years' time that all the rules are going to change again, because the pendulum has swung the other way.' Ponter said in recent years there had been 'more radical swings' in policy under successive governments. 'At the moment, the meat in the sandwich of all this, is the regional councils, who get accused of not doing this, or being woke, of being overly sympathetic to the environment… when all we are doing is following the national guidance that is put in front of us.' The government has released three discussion documents covering 12 national policy statements and and national environmental standards, with the aim of having 16 new or updated ones by the end of 2025, ahead of legislation replacing the RMA next year. The consultation covers three main topics: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. It is open from 29 May to 27 July. Doug Leeder, chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management. He said implementing national direction was a major undertaking that involved work with communities, industry and mana whenua. 'Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. 'When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. 'We need to work towards something more enduring.' Could bipartisanship on regulations work? 'That's the challenge for the minister but also for the leaders of those opposition parties, as well,' Ponter said. 'Everybody is going to have to find a degree of compromise if something like that is going to work.' But he said regional councils had worked constructively with successive governments and they were ready to do so again.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Plead For Bipartisan Resource Management Act Reform
Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes when legislation replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA) next year. The government has announced sweeping changes to the rules governing councils' oversight of everything - from housing, to mining, to agriculture - under the RMA, and these have been released for public feedback. Speaking on behalf of Te Uru Kahika - Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa, Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said when policy resets every three years, regulators scramble to deliver the new government's national direction. "As regional councils we have effectively seen these national instruments landing on our lap as regularly as every three years. The music just has to stop. "We need certainty, we need to be able to have the chance as regulators to actually bed in policies and rules and provide a greater certainty to people who want to do things - who want to build, who want to farm, who want to mine - because the bigger block on those things at the moment, at national and regional levels, is that we continue to change the rules." Ponter said bipartisanship on regulations was needed to provide certainty. "I don't want to be in the position in three or six years' time that all the rules are going to change again, because the pendulum has swung the other way." Ponter said in recent years there had been "more radical swings" in policy under successive governments. "At the moment, the meat in the sandwich of all this, is the regional councils, who get accused of not doing this, or being woke, of being overly sympathetic to the environment... when all we are doing is following the national guidance that is put in front of us." The government has released three discussion documents covering 12 national policy statements and and national environmental standards, with the aim of having 16 new or updated ones by the end of 2025, ahead of legislation replacing the RMA next year. The consultation covers three main topics: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. It is open from 29 May to 27 July. Doug Leeder, chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management. He said implementing national direction was a major undertaking that involved work with communities, industry and mana whenua. "Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. "When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. "We need to work towards something more enduring." Could bipartisanship on regulations work? "That's the challenge for the minister but also for the leaders of those opposition parties, as well," Ponter said. "Everybody is going to have to find a degree of compromise if something like that is going to work." But he said regional councils had worked constructively with successive governments and they were ready to do so again.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Consider National Direction Packages From Government
Councils across the country are considering and preparing for a major implementation task, following the Government's release of proposed reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The proposed changes span 12 existing instruments and introduce four new ones, making this the most wide-ranging reset of national direction since the RMA was enacted. The changes will have significant implications for how land, water, biodiversity and infrastructure are managed. Speaking for the regional councils and unitary authorities of NZ, Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter said national direction drives local planning and consent decisions that are central to our environment and economy. 'Regional and unitary councils recognise the pressures on the current system and like central government, want to help solve the housing shortage, support our world-leading primary producers, enable critical infrastructure delivery, and achieve freshwater aspirations. 'We have a lot to offer to ensure national direction is implemented in an efficient and effective way that achieves good outcomes for all parts of New Zealand, and we warmly welcome Ministers and officials to visit councils and see firsthand the scale, complexity, and success of the work being done across the country,' said Chair Ponter. Having governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management in his time as Chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Doug Leeder emphasised that implementing national direction is a major undertaking that involves work with communities, industry, and mana whenua. 'Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. 'When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. 'We need to work towards something more enduring,' said Chair Leeder. Regional government has worked constructively with successive governments to deliver their national direction, Chair Ponter said they're ready to partner and do so again. 'We have appreciated efforts by Ministers during their review to minimise the cost of implementation to ratepayers. 'We stand ready to provide additional advice on this and other matters from our experience enabling water storage, supporting flexible freshwater farm plans, and collectively delivering more than $48 million each year into catchment and biodiversity restoration on the ground,' said Chair Ponter. Looking ahead, Te Uru Kahika welcomes the opportunity to engage constructively with the Government on the new direction. The Government's National Direction Package consultation is open until 27 July 2025.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Regional Sector Chair To Continue Progress And Partnership
Press Release – Te Uru Kahika A long-term thinker, Leeder credits the success of Te Uru Kahika (the 16 regional and unitary councils) to an openness to continually doing things better and unity of purpose. After almost a decade of leadership, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder has decided it's time to step down as Chair of New Zealand's LGNZ Regional Sector Group (RSG). His successor, Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter, brings to the role a long-standing interest in local government and resolve to work shoulder to shoulder with the country's Mayors and Chairs. In his time at the helm of RSG, Chair Leeder has been resolute in his support for a cohesive national voice for regional and unitary councils, grounded implementation, and rural and environmental needs. Above all, Doug said, it's always been about people. 'If it wasn't for people, regional government wouldn't need to deliver our many services. As regional and unitary councils, we work to ensure that the expectations of our communities are met in terms of a nice place to live and earn, and sustainability in terms of air quality, water, and the appropriate use of land,' said Chair Leeder. While part of the Regional Sector's work is regulatory across environmental resource management, Leeder is quick to point out that its contributions go far beyond what many New Zealanders might realise. 'Public transport, reducing flood risk, maritime safety, environmental enhancement, emergency management, and regional planning are all things that regional and unitary councils do every day, often in the background,' he said. 'The irony is, if we're doing our jobs well, most people won't even notice. But without them, our communities would feel the absence very quickly,' said Chair Leeder. A long-term thinker, Leeder credits the success of Te Uru Kahika (the 16 regional and unitary councils) to an openness to continually doing things better and unity of purpose. 'As Regional Sector Chair, it's been rewarding to see the sector put politics aside and come together for the good of the communities we serve. 'Working together has been useful in times of increasing complexity and central government direction on how councils must manage the environment while enabling growth,' said Mr Leeder. Now, as New Zealand prepares for significant resource management reforms and substantial climate adaptation work, Doug passes the baton with a call for courage. 'The structure of local government hasn't meaningfully changed since 1989. In that time, our communities, demographics, and challenges have changed dramatically. We need to be brave enough to question how deliver services and what functions sit best at which level—national, regional, or local. 'For example, monitoring and compliance needs to be at place by regional people with an understanding of the nuances of their region and specific catchments. With that said, we get the need for some uniformity in approach to give fairness and certainty across the country, and importantly save time and money,' said Chair Leeder. New RSG Chair Daran Ponter is well placed to steer regional government through a period of change. An experienced public policy adviser and Wellington-based, Chair Ponter is seeking a productive partnership with central government. 'We're operating in a period of global uncertainty and domestic pressure. That calls for agility and the Regional Sector Group felt it was important to have a Chair who could engage regularly and positively with government. 'As regional government, there are things that we do that would not work well for central or hyper-local government to deliver. For example, flood management, environmental monitoring, and regional transport operate best as a network and demand a regional lens,' said Chair Ponter, 'We're looking forward to productive conversations about the functions we deliver.' Reflecting on the cost of living and opportunities ahead, Chair Ponter is unequivocal that aspects of regional government services can be done cheaper and better through council collaboration. 'Regional Sector shared services can't come fast enough. Whether it's shared IT, specialist staff, or ticketing systems, we need to stop duplicating effort and start realising the efficiencies that scale can offer. Having a national public transport card is a great example and we're nearly there because we've worked together,' said Chair Ponter. Both leaders agree that greater cooperation between councils and with central government is important for New Zealand's future success. Chair Leeder reflected on what he hears from communities, 'Ratepayers are saying, 'enough is enough.' Double-digit rate increases aren't sustainable and hopes that government can endlessly write bigger cheques isn't realistic either. We need a real conversation between central and local government about who does what, who funds what, and how we can deliver services more smartly together.' In taking up the mantle, Chair Ponter recognised Chair Leeder's service to the Regional Sector and thanked him on behalf of Te Uru Kahika. 'Like all Mayors and Chairs, Doug is passionate about the Regional Sector. He has shown that through his leadership over three triennia as RSG Chair and by bringing us all together through Te Uru Kahika. This shared approach has strengthened the bonds across the Regional Sector for the betterment of the country,' said Chair Ponter. At the May RSG meeting, Mayors and Chairs also elected Waikato Regional Council Chair Pamela Storey as RSG Co-Deputy Chair. Deputy Chair Storey succeeds Horizons Regional Council Chair Rachel Keedwell who has added great value to the sector and will continue to do so through her ongoing role as a Regional Sector Representative on the LGNZ National Council. As this leadership transition takes place, Te Uru Kahika remains focused on working together on matters of environmental management, supporting economic and community development, and building resilience to hazards.
