Category: General

Everything else

Council Postpones Indoor Fire Decision

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Trying to work more stuff out with Government

 

Well some could say this was coming.

From Auckland Council

Auckland Council postpones indoor fire decision

 

Auckland Council’s Governing Body today made a decision to postpone the passing of the Air Quality Bylaw. The proposed bylaw aims to manage indoor fires to reduce air pollution and meet National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (AQNES).

Councillors agreed that further discussion was needed with the government to meet their legislative requirement and garner support for the large number of Aucklanders this bylaw will affect.

Councillor Calum Penrose, Chair Regulatory and Bylaws Committee says, “We have over 80,000 households in Auckland that currently use open fires and old wood burners. We would like the government to work with us in providing people with clean heat alternatives and support the  more vulnerable in our community whose only form of heating is open fires.”

Cr Penrose recognised that the proposed bylaw needs to be put through to meet the AQNES and also for the overall health of the wider Auckland community – 110 people dying a year from illnesses due to fine particle emissions from indoor fires is another vital reason to rectify this problem.

The proposed Air Quality Bylaw will go back to the Regulatory and Bylaws Committee in February 2015 with further clarification on support for alternative heating options. The overall timeframe of an indoor fire ban in late 2018 is not expected to change.

—Ends—

 

And I bet all the Government will do for “support” on alternative heating options is garner the big stick rather than rebates and subsidies. So might as well get the Bylaw through and be done with it. We have until 2018.

My last piece of commentary on it was here: Fire Places – Heated? Actually No

 

Fire Place Restrictions Kicked Into Touch

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Now moved to February

 

The new Bylaw to place restrictions and bans on pre 2005 wood burners in Auckland homes has been kicked into touch – February 2015 looking at Twitter and MSM reports.

Council is due to release more details later on today.

No matter the delays however, the City is still faced with the inevitable. We either get the Bylaw in ourselves under our own steam or have it done for us by the Ministry for the Environment.

 

More as it happens

 

New Lifejacket Rules Received Well

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So far so good

 

From Auckland Council (seeming this particular issue did cause debate while we still have deaths on the water from those in boats under six metres owing to people not wearing lifejackets)

Aucklanders respond well to lifejacket rules

 

Auckland’s Harbourmaster is hailing the first weekend of the council’s new rules on wearing lifejackets as a success.

Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says staff from his office visited several boat ramps to inform people about Auckland Council’s new navigation safety bylaw which came into effect for Labour weekend.

“What was pleasing was that most people were aware of the rules and more importantly, were wearing lifejackets.

“The job has just begun so our staff will be out on the water throughout the summer to ensure people are well informed and know the rules and their responsibilities.”

The new bylaw requires everyone on a vessel of six metres or less to wear a lifejacket and that they can only be removed if the skipper determines that it is safe to do so.

The council is also simplifying signs at boat ramps, to help with greater understanding and compliance.

For more information on Auckland Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw go to aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/harbourmaster

—ends—-

 

Stay safe out on the water. Still too many preventable deaths often from not wearing lifejackets or not being equipped properly. 6 hours in a lifejacket being hot and uncomfortable sure beats being dead a very long time….