However, just how the Otago Regional Council is going to deal with those breaking the air plan rules, which come into effect next January, is still to be decided.
While the Government has relaxed the National Environmental Standard for air quality deadline, the council is continuing with its plan to implement its air plan next year.
From January 1, it will be an offence in the air zone one towns of Alexandra, Arrowtown, Cromwell and Clyde to use a fire that does not meet specific emission standards.
"No coal fires will be allowed. [Residents] are on notice," Cr Bryan Scott said at a regional council meeting last week.
Based on the 2006 census, there are 750 coal burners in Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell, 180 in Arrowtown and 357 in Milton compared with 2163 wood burners in the three towns, 550 in Arrowtown and 99 in Milton.
There were multiple winter breaches of the air plans across Otago, with towns such as Dunedin, Balclutha and Mosgiel not improving fast enough to meet the 2013 level of only one breach per year.
And air zone one towns have not been changing fast enough to less polluting heating devices.
Of the 2913 solid fuel burners in Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell, 19% have been replaced in recent times using a Clean Heat Clean Air subsidy, 16% in Arrowtown and 11% in Milton.
At a meeting of the natural resources committee last week, councillors decided that how compliance should be enforced needed to be discussed at a scheduled regulatory committee meeting.
Council chief executive Graeme Martin said there were no easy tools for detecting pollution "without invading people's houses to investigate what is OK or not".
The regulatory committee would need to consider how to stop polluters who would not stop on their own, he said.
In a report to the committee, it was suggested while compliance officers would not enter homes to check on burners, they would be able to observe smoky chimneys.
"It is anticipated that complaints from neighbours will increase as the new rules take effect."
By targeting coal burners alone, 25% of the burners could be replaced within air zone one and 60% in Milton.
Council chairman Stephen Woodhead, who lives near Milton and on the road to the Kaitangata coal mine, said coal was out. It was "as simple as that". But the change would have an impact on some communities even though they knew it was coming. The air plan concepts were introduced about four years ago.
"Behavioural change takes time."
It was proposed to review the plan change to include Milton officially in air zone one.
