KEY POINTS:
The tradition of burning rubbish in a backyard incinerator - be it custom-made or a humble cut-down drum - is just about extinguished in urban Auckland.
But a hot spot of support for the domestic destructor has flared up on the North Shore.
Allen Mortimer, of Milford, and four other city residents objected in writing to their city council's revised bylaw on fires in the open.
The new bylaw, due to take effect from July 1, bans incinerators, but allows barbecues and traditional cooking fires provided they don't cause a nuisance.
"That's discriminatory," said Mr Mortimer, a naval officer. "They should not be banned if they do not create a nuisance.
"Cars, trucks and buses pollute the environment far more than incinerators used correctly. Day burning creates little smoke."
Mr Mortimer said incinerators like his stainless steel version were a gardener's friend.
There was a limit to what gardeners could mulch and compost, and weeds were best burned rather than recycled.
Birkenhead resident Peter Wright said that for 54 years he regularly burned kitchen meat scraps in a brick incinerator.
"This a safe, hygienic and efficient method causing less pollution than a rubbish truck and requires no landfill area, or causes leachate problems.
"The incinerator is 25m from the nearest neighbour but close to my permanently connected garden hose, which has never been needed to put out the fire." The engineer said his incinerator had not produced complaints - only fertiliser for his garden.
Elizabeth Morrison, of Birkdale, said she had a concrete incinerator with a metal lid. "I use it to destroy any non-recyclable rubbish.
"I am a pensioner and can ill afford to pay to have this excess rubbish removed."
Devonport resident Christine Heys said a ban would take away people's right to privacy in destroying personal documents.
The council had one written response against incinerators.
"Fouling the air around the area - fires are often lit on fine, clear mornings when people have their windows and doors open, therefore making homes and fabric smell of smoke," said Douglas Leemans.
"There is no need for fires because we have good waste collection services for most things. The remainder can be taken to the tip."
Council senior environmental protection adviser Ian Parker said the revision removes a bylaw section which permits backyard burners, subject to certain conditions.
"In the past, use of backyard incinerators gave rise to a large number of neighbourly complaints," he said.
"Generally, fewer people are carrying out backyard burning due to environmental concerns, greater awareness of the issues and smaller section sizes."
The revision brings the council's bylaw into line with the new Regional Air Land Water Plan, which bans outdoor burning because of concerns about emissions unable to meet air quality standards. Use of backyard and single-chamber incinerators are a major source of air pollution in the region, says the Auckland Regional Council, which has taken over local councils' role of investigating air quality complaints, including backyard burning.
ARC figures show about 3000 outdoor burning complaints were received a year by councils, and regionwide, outdoor fires yearly produced 110 tonnes of fine particulate, 600 tonnes of carbon monoxide and 200 tonnes of hydrocarbons.
The only incinerators legally operating in the region would be for airport quarantine and hospital wastes.
