Wood-burners clean up their act

New anti-pollution laws, the first of their kind in this country, come into force today, meaning anyone buying a wood-burner for their home needs to make sure it is the right one.

The new standards for home fires inpose a raft of limits on polluting gases, including carbon monoxide, ozone and sulphur dioxide and "particulates", tiny microns of particles emitted into the air.

Motor vehicles also face the new standards.

The onus for making sure the Environment Ministry's new air quality national standard is not breached will fall on regional councils but consumers will also have to watch out.

"Never, ever again buy a wood-burner without asking whether it complies with the new rules," said the chief executive of the Consumers Institute, David Russell.

From today, wood-burners cannot be installed unless they meet the new standard.

No building consent will be issued if the fire does not comply, unless the house is in a semi-rural or rural area, deemed to be a property of 2ha or more.

A quick trawl on the internet found plenty of wood fires for sale that do not appear on the ministry's "approved wood-burners" list.

BBQ Factory retail co-ordinator Jason Corkin said the company was talking to the ministry to get the list expanded.

"Most of our range are compliant," he said.

"We're waiting for the ministry to give us the official nod for the units."

Anyone buying a wood-burner would be pointed towards the correct one, depending on whether it was for a rural or urban area, said Mr Corkin.

Other regulations under the ministry's new air-quality standard came into force last year, including a ban on burning tyres, bitumen burning on roads and fires at landfills.