Many West Coasters have an important relationship with the forestry and mining industries, which are a huge part of
Coast history. Locally accessible supplies of wood and coal have made these fuels firm favourites for home heating,
and are for many people important for warm homes and hot water. Sometimes domestic wood and coal heating can
create air quality problems, like too many fine particles in the air. If high enough, these fine particles can cause, and/or
exacerbate, respiratory Illnesses. These are a potential source of social and financial stress for locals and kiwi’s as a
whole. So its within all our interests to know what our air quality is Iike. It is also a statutory requirement for Council
to assess air quality.
Council’s science team has a number of initiatives aimed at improving our understanding of regional air quality. Long
term continuous monitoring of fine airborne particulates has been undertaken in Reefton since 2006. Surveys have
been undertaken in 2020 and 2021 to find out more about the spatial distribution of particulates across Reefton. These
spatial surveys are NOT for evaluating the performance of individual households and discharges. But they help us
identify areas where quality is poorest and may require further monitoring. Sometimes the role of geography and
climate can be just as important as how things are burnt when it comes to smoky air. A spatial survey of fine airborne
particulates is underway in Westport for the 2022 winter, as well as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide surveys in
both Reefton and Westport.
Air quality data for Reefton and climatology data (wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure) for Pigeon Ck
CWS (NIWA site in Inchbonnie) can be viewed by clicking on the icon below. This accesses the council’s raw data
dashboard.
