Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has welcomed news that the Government is considering a temporary rule change to allow landowners to burn masses of cyclone and flood debris.
The proposed Order in Council under the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Act would temporarily allow open-air burning of the waste in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.
In a statement, the Council said staff will be working with landowners to ensure they understand the new permitted activity standards that accompany this temporary rule change.
These would include:
- Steps to separate materials (e.g. tanalised posts, plastics, wire etc.), where possible
- Timing of the burn
- Weather conditions
- Preparation of a fire management planNotification of parties (e.g. Fire and Emergency New Zealand –https://www.firepermit.nz/FENZ/Default.aspx)
- Appropriate disposal of remaining waste material and ash
- Site testing and remediation, if required.
If approved, the Order in Council would take effect no later than 27 June and would expire on 15 December.
