''Kempton's blower'', as the idea was nicknamed at Thursday's Otago Regional Council technical committee, was supported by several councillors keen to see technological solutions to air pollution investigated as part of the council's review of its air quality management.
The council aimed to have a review done by November and councillors on Thursday considered a range of principles that would inform the review.
Cr Trevor Kempton said he was concerned the focus was on what put pollutants into the air rather than a potential solution for the effects of climate, which were really the issue.
In Alexandra, the air quality was strongly affected by inversion layers trapping the pollution.
''A very small change in climate conditions, like the small windmills orchards use in the frost-fighting process, could move things forward.''
Whether there was any viability in the concept ''at all'' needed to be investigated, he said.
Council chairman Stephen Woodhead said the challenge was to think outside the square, as air quality was a complicated problem that involved health, warm homes, secure supply of heating and climate.
Towns such as Alexandra had some of the highest winter heat requirements in New Zealand, combined with a high cost of electricity.
''We have made some progress ... we'll not fix this overnight.''
Given those climate challenges, expecting people to rely on one source of heating was concerning, he said.
''For a number of reasons, we do need to allow the community to still utilise woodburners, as they do provide the highest energy impact in the home.''
He supported a lift in education, new technology and also the idea of requiring low-emission heating options in new homes.
Cr Michael Deaker said unless the council was prepared to be ''remarkably austere and remarkably politically suicidal'', it needed to adjust its thinking from where it was 10 years ago when air quality rules were set, and be more compassionate.
''We've got to give primary importance to the comfort and health of the people who live in this airshed.''
If there was any way the success of vineyards and orchardists in moving from smudge pots to water to wind could be translated into urban areas, it needed to be explored, he said.
''We could come up with a game-changer.''
Cr Doug Brown said while technology was important, it was just as important to continue to try to change human behaviour.
Council air quality scientist Deborah Mills said if airshed one, which included Alexandra, did not comply with the national standards, the implication for industry, which also included schools and rest homes, was a restriction on what they could emit to air for new or renewing consents.
Under the national standards, those new industries would have to demonstrate they would have no significant effect on the airshed past their site.
If they did not meet the standards, the next step was for them to offset their emissions by taking out the same amount from the airshed. That had not happened anywhere in New Zealand yet, she believed.
At a later committee meeting, councillors also noted the council had issued 12 infringement notices in the past year to people for discharging contaminants to air through outdoor burning and had authorised two legal proceedings relating to burning prohibited materials.
