Last year, Arrowtown exceeded the air pollution safety guidelines 25 times, Alexandra six times, Mosgiel five, and Milton 23. The ORC’s efforts to implement the 2005 national air quality guidelines were embodied in its 2009 Air Plan. "Funding pressure is not an acceptable excuse for failing to carry out one of its principal responsibilities — one that was put in place to protect human health," Dr Baker adds. It is the same freshly-minted Long Term Plan that also states "due to funding pressures, we are pausing most of our air quality work". Cr Noone says the new air plan will include air quality implementation funding that increases from $1 million per year in 2024-25 to $3.5 million per year from 2026-27 onwards.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 01, 2021 16:30 UTC