Coal fires may be banned in Milton, but how?

Moving to essentially ban coal-burning in Milton is the latest stage of the regional council's battle against the practice.

However, enforcement is proving more difficult.

At a meeting yesterday it decided to investigate upgrading Milton from Air Zone Two to Air Zone One, putting it in the same group as Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde and Cromwell.

In 2017, Milton had the worst air quality in the region, exceeding emission limits on 48 days followed by Arrowtown and Cromwell with 42 each.

Council environmental scientist Deborah Mills said making a town Air Zone One effectively banned coal fires there because it was almost impossible to comply with emission standards while burning the fuel.

Milton did have some subsidies for clean burners other Air Zone Two towns did not, but it was subject to a ''very passive'' type of management, she said.

Cr Bryan Scott said the move would cause a reduction of coal use in Milton and any new burners would have to be of a certain standard.

Council chairman Stephen Woodhead said for clarity the council should be banning coal completely in Air Zone One areas.

''The policy says we shouldn't be using it anyway. Let's be brave and consult on banning coal in Air Zone One towns.''

The council had made some progress with lowering coal use, he said.

''However, all our districts are well above the New Zealand average on coal use. What is the trigger for the next step?

''Yes, we've had a significant reduction, but if you drive through Milton on a cold morning the place stinks.''

Cr Michael Deaker said he was pleased the council had the momentum to ''ban coal once and for all''.

Cr Gretchen Robertson said there was an issue of compliance.

A report to the council said people in houses in Air Zone 1 were still burning coal.

''Enforcing that is really tricky. We need to figure out how to enforce the policy.

''My feeling is whether we're outlawing coal or we're outlawing poor burners, we'd be knocking on people's doors saying 'have you got any coal here?'.''

More subsidisation of clean burners was needed, she said.

Cr Michael Laws said he was a coal user and the council would have to take the coal from his ''cold dead hands''.

The idea to ban coal came from a 10-year-old report that did not prove anyone in Cromwell or Alexandra had any negative health impacts from coal-burning, he said.

Cr Laws lives in Cromwell, a Air Zone 1 area, meaning his burning of coal breaches council standards.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz