The Arrowtown Clean Air Project is managed by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) as part of its obligations to the national clean air standards that have recently been introduced by government.

Check out the ORC website for really good information on Air Quality. You can find a list of approved burner and check out the regulations governing air quality.

• Arrowtown air quality readings here
• solid fuel home heating regulations and approved burners here

The Arrowtown Village Association (AVA) will keep the residents informed of progress in keeping our air quality within the range specified by the ORC.

Breathing clean air is everyones' right: Creating clean air is everyones' responsibility.

The following article was first printed in the "Lakes District & Central Otago News on Thursday August 3rd 2006

ARROWTOWN residents who suffer from respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema may have found their conditions have worsened recently because of high levels of air pollution. The Otago Regional Council installed an air pollution monitoring station beside Arrowtown School on July 7. It takes hourly readings of the number of particulates per cubic metre of air.

The average air pollution level over 24 hours recommended by the ORC was 50mcg of particulates per cubic metre of air. This level has been exceeded nine times since the station was installed and three times during the past week. Pollution from domestic heating, not from cars, was the main problem in Arrowtown ORC director of environmental information and science Dr John. Threlfall said.

Vehicles are the major source of air pollution in larger centres like Christchurch. Dr Threlfall said the ORC had an obligation to reach new air standards set by the Mmistiy of the Environment by 2013. If this was not achieved, bans on forms of domestic heating which produced an unacceptable level of pollution would be instated.

Queenstown-based asthma and diabetes nurse educator Jenny Britland said while there were a number of things which could make asthma worse for sufferers - including pollen, cigarette smoke and other airborne allergens — sulphur dioxide, which was created when coal was burnt, had a profound effect on those with respiratory problems.

She said there were about 1000 people in Wakatipu who suffered from various degrees of asthma but was unsure how many people had been admitted to the Lakes District Hospital with worsened conditions because of the pollution during winter. Dr Threlfall said Arrowtown was susceptible to high pollution because of a lack of wind through the town to sweep particulates away. Arrowtown suffers from inversion and this is what causes the smog to hang around.

He said the Central Otago town was comparable with Christchurch during times when there was little wind and ‘the weather was right." Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Science senior lecturer in medicine Dr Michael Epton said, not only did admission rates of people with respiratory illness increase in Christchurch as air pollution rates increased, more people with respiratory illness or heart disease died. He said there was no clear way to avoid the pollution contrary to the belief of some you could not avoid it by staying indoors. "There is substantial evidence to suggest that staying inside does nothing. Levels of air pollution come in to houses."

While there was no evidence to suggest that high air pollution levels triggered asthma, bronchitis of emphysema, he said it had been shown that it did affect people with lung and heart disease and young children. Mr Threlfall said the ORC would try to stress the importance of cleaner forms of heating and change the behaviour of Arrowtown residents. He was confident they would see the high levels drop. "Cleaner forms of heating may cost more to install initially but they are cleaner, easier and more convenient to use and better for you in the long run. "They will actually save you money over time. If we can help people understand that, it will be fine"

Thanks to the "LD & CO News" for this article.