New Zealand’s Smoggy Towns Win Reprive, No Clean Air Until 2020

Smoke haze over Arrowtown, 27 days in 2009

A number of times in this blog we’ve talked about supposedly Clean, Green New Zealand’s awful air quality, and about how the country is teetering on the edge of being called “third world” for the way in which it failing to deal with this serious health problem.

Did you know that despite NZ’s relatively low population and geographic isolation, urban areas in New Zealand suffer poor air quality during winter?

Last year a respiratory specialist in Invercargill linked “terrible increase” in respirable problems in the city to poor air quality, where standards were breached 17 times in 2010 – three times the number of failures in 2009.

Only one breach a year is allowed under the national standards.

The Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand (HAPINZ) report estimated that each year around 1,100 New Zealanders die prematurely from air pollution with an associated health cost of $1.14 billion.

Christchurch smog

In May 2009 we wrote about air pollution in New Zealand.  Back then the Ministry of the Environment said that poor air quality was a significant issue in some areas of the country and Two thirds of the population lived in areas that experienced air pollution.

Most of the country’s poor air quality is caused by high winter levels of particulate matter (PM₁₀) from wood and coal used for home heating. Auckland also experiences high levels of PM₁₀ from road transport.

In June 2010 there were 43 airsheds across New Zealand where air quality is monitored, 26 of them don’t meet the PM10 standard.

The non-complying airsheds include Auckland, Christchurch and a number of provincial cities and towns (especially throughout the South Island).

By 2013, it is estimated that 10 airsheds will continue to exceed the PM10 standard with another five airsheds potentially also exceeding the standard. These 15 airsheds represent 45 per cent of New Zealand’s population.

More smog in Christchurch

Air quality in parts of NZ are so bad that an announcement was made that the quality standards were to be dropped because the previous standards are “unrealistic” and “unfair”:

The Government wants a standard that achieves material improvements in air quality without imposing unnecessary costs on businesses and communities…

“These changes are about improving air quality but in a pragmatic and realistic way “… “The Government wants a standard that achieves material improvements in air quality without imposing unnecessary costs on businesses and communities.”

Last year Environment Minister, Nick Smith, admitted that 10 NZ cities and towns are unlikely to meet air quality targets by the year 2013, and  said that the overwhelming proportion of pollution is caused by home fires.

But despite pollution affecting the health of so many people, and resulting in over a thousand premature deaths every year, it was confirmed today that the quality standards are to be relaxed because the costs of implementing them are greater than the health benefits they will bring:

From Stuff

New Zealand’s smoggiest towns and cities have been given more breathing space to achieve strict air quality rules.

Regional councils, which implement the Government’s air pollution standards, have had since 2004 to fix smog problems, mainly caused by inefficient woodburners and open fires in winter.

The 10 worst areas in the country, including inland Otago and Timaru, will not clean up the air by the 2013 deadline, so the Government has moved to relax the standards.

Environment Minister Nick Smith said this morning that the health benefits were only slightly reduced by the delay, while the economic costs of implementing them would be significantly lower.

He said that Labour’s policy was poorly implemented, unrealistic and unfair.

“New Zealand needs to strike a careful balance between the pace we improve our air quality and the impacts on jobs and household costs,” he said today at the annual conference of the National Party’s environment wing, the Bluegreens.

The key changes are:
- Areas with moderate pollution will now have to achieve the standard by 2016;
- High pollution areas will have until 2020 to meet the standard, with improvement by 2016;
- Readings corrupted by events like volcanic eruptions and Australian dust storms will not count as breaches…” read more here

The Timaru Herald also reported on the change to the standards, revealing in the process the extent to which Timaru is cursed with poor air quality

Timaru recorded 49 high pollution nights last year, where the levels of particulate matter in the air had exceeded 50 micrograms per cubic metre.

What with the polluted atmosphere, 43% of bathing waters being unsafe to swim in and 20% of New Zealanders having unsafe drinking water there isn’t much left that can be called pure in New Zealand.

Perhaps this is why TNZ finally dropped the 100% Pure NZ branding, instead preferring to concentrate on the purity of the person visiting the country.

Let’s just hope that visitors don’t compromise their own purity by staying in one of the polluted towns in winter, swimming in the contaminated water or drinking water straight from the tap.

Migrants Tales – 5 Years In NZ And Getting Bored

Continuing in our popular Migrants Tales series – first hand accounts of migrant life in New Zealand taken from locations around the net.

Today’s tale is taken from a British expats forum and is comprised of two posts – one from 2006 and the other five years later.

This is an excellent essay on what the Kiwi Lifestyle is really all about for one family in Hamilton, and an indication of what the future may hold for YOU when you emigrate to New Zealand.

2006

I don’t know, we’ve been here for just over a year and a half and are beginning to have our doubts.

The work ethic thing is true, I get customers ringing me up at 9pm on Saturday nights asking me technical questions.

I can’t believe anyone really thinks the average kiwi regularly goes abroad. Most that we speak to have maybe done the OE thing in their youth and apart from that have been to Melbourne a couple of times.

I wouldn’t say they’re all considerate neighbours….many have a “fack em” attitiude, crank up the stereo, rev their big bore jap import at 5am or burn their waste when you’ve got your washing out.

All comments about hosing here are true. If you want a decent place you’ll need to build it yourself.

Regards to money and wages. A LOT of kiwis we know make ends meet and that’s about it. I had no intention of starting a business here but it seems the only way to get a living wage [*1]. If my other half didn’t have pommie pounds to live mortgage free there’s no way we could stay here. House prices to wages are probably as bad as the UK. Please don’t confuse average with median when talking about wages and house prices. One thing is for sure though, if we can’t make it work here then there are dozens of other countries we’d try before going back to the UK.

The supermarkets end up with all the crap food…all the best stuff goes abroad. We’ve ended up buying a chest freezer and going 1/4′s on “a beast”.

As much as I think Don Brash is a pr!ck, his comments about the talent going to Australia (and further afield) are true and it seems to be a disproportionate amount of the “dregs” are left in New Zealand.

Clean and green is a complete myth. Kiwi’s are a filthy lot compared to Europe. The statistics probably don’t show this though but we regularly see farmers just digging holes for rubbish or people burning waste. The cars are dirty too. The “heating” issue also stinks…literally. Our eyes literally sting from the stinking chimneys around here on cold winter evenings.

From a crime perspective NZ has a higher violent and sexual crime rate than the UK. I think burglaries are worse too but I can’t remember that 100%

They have FAR too many politicians

The TV is abysmal.

Drink driving is a popular hobby.

They’re not animal lovers. You will be appalled when you see how the cockies and pig stickers (yes, you did read that properly) treat their dogs.

They are as tight as ducks arses with regards to money (if they don’t know you). Second hand items like cars, electronics, furniture & clothing seem to depreciate much less than they do in the UK. Hell, this USED door mat pretty much sums it up.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living…n-63329298.htm

[2].

The “lifestyle” thing is great though. Kiwis aren’t quite so anal as the British about inviting you into their home. There’s less of the “keep up with the Jones or we’ll look down our noses at you’”. People generally talk to each other (try that in SE England). Generally more “freedom” to do activities (walking, cycling, horse-riding, surfing, etc) that comes with just having more space per person.

Most important point if you’re thinking of coming here:- When a Kiwi asks “Do you like New Zealand?” they’re not really asking. Your reply should be “it’s awesome/fabulous/cool/special” etc etc. The take great offence if you criticise their country.

Just my tuppenceworth

[1] I’ve noticed a LOT of “normal” employed kiwi’s have an almost non-existent part time business for the sole purpose of claiming expenses.
[2] There are few bargains on trademe (kiwi…sorry…Australian owned kiwi version of Ebay with crap facilities and poor search engine).

January 2011

Well, since my last post in 06, not a lot has changed. If anything, I feel my previous comments about poor housing, drink driving and anti-social neighbors have been backed up by more experience.

Moved a few k’s up the road and spent all our (and then some) hard earned “pommie pounds” on a “lifestyle” block. Little slice of heaven; for a couple of years until the local council shafted us, swept our objections under the carpet and put a dog pound up < 300m away. Serves me right for declining the invitation from the local freemasons. Guess I’d best save up my pennies for the double glazing (did I mention poor housing?).

I’ve noticed that the majority of my friends around here are foreigners (Dutch, Japanese, English, Scottish…some lived here for 30 years). This was not intentional, I’ve got a handful of good kiwi buddies in the area but I got sick of banging my head off a wall. I think it’s a small town thing as seemed to click much quicker with my friends in Wellington and Palmy (ongoing debate, but IMHO Hamilton is far worse than Palmy).

Cost of living seems to have skyrocketed but income has hardly increased. This is probably old news to everyone. By pretending to have assimilated, I’ve offset this somewhat by doing what the locals do (working 60 hours a week, 2nd job, paying tradesmen cash, terrible DIY jobs, bartering, maxing out credit card, maxing out other credit card, fortnightly trip to PAK N SAVE, homekills, disconnecting speedo on diesel, burning trash, driving with no rego for the odd month, drinking local home-brew and cheap alcohol although I draw the line at drinking HAAST or Ranfurly beer. I’m considering the other popular Kiwi income stream : claiming WINZ, or making a dodgy ACC claim whilst working on the side. Maybe I should just get into the burglary business as most of the rich farmers leave their places unlocked and to be honest, you’d have to murder someone twice to do gaol time here.

With fuel costs its tricky, but I have to escape the area at least once a fortnight. Two weekends on the trot and I start growling at people. I would suggest having a sport or hobby that frequently entails getting the hell out of dodge as being essential to any ex pat living in small town eNZed. With good friends in other towns, at least I’m not getting stung for motels or dossing in the car as much these days.

Money worries aside, I’m now in the situation of being BORED OUT MY SKULL. Were I 20 years older I guess I’d be like a pig in poo. Or maybe not as savings are all gone. Career opportunities out in the wop wops are rare and the job situation nationwide is dire. Wondering if it’s this town and whether moving to outskirts of Wellywood would solve many issues. Missus reckons if we’re getting jobs, restarting business, making friends, etc all from scratch again we’d be as well in OZ.

My attitude is all wrong and I’m not trying hard enough, obviously.

How To Tell If a P Lab Is Operating In Your Neighbourhood

Over the last few days we’ve blogged about advice to New Zealand  home buyers to get forensic tests for Methamphetamine carried out on their prospective properties as part of the pre-purchase routine.

Methamphetamine  (P) manufacture and use is widespread throughout New Zealand. The chemicals used to ‘cook’ the expensive, highly addictive and dangerous drug (and the drug itself) can be absorbed into the fabric of a building, where they remain in dangerous quantities and have serious effects on the health of the people living there.

A former Hamilton detective once accused the Government of a “head in the sand mentality” when it comes to New Zealand’s growing drug culture.  The country now rates as having the third highest number of P users per capita in the world.

Today we’re writing about how to tell if a clandestine P house is operating in your neighbourhood.

Meth labs don’t just present a hazard because of the nature of the drug that is being manufactured but there is also the risk of property damage due to explosion and fire. Waste products may be dumped in the surrounding area where your kids play, or diffuse into your property. Drug dealing goes on around P houses and the streets are busy night and day with people calling at the house and there are increased levels of crime.

Drug dealers are often armed and may keep guns, ammunition, stolen property and other drugs in the premises. (ref Daniel Vae and New Zealand’s war on drugs)

There may also be children living in extreme danger at the property as around a third of homes where methamphetamine is being manufactured have children living in them. Figures show that 35-70% of children in those environments test positive to methamphetamine itself, while 90% test positive to toxic levels of chemicals. (source)

Children may be being used as couriers by their parents and children as young as six have been found passing drugs at school. (Ref. Drugs battle fought on school playgrounds and six year old kids take dope to school)

Labs can be set up anywhere from  a rural apartment;  to a house in a family neighbourhood or in the back of a car and can be very hard to discover.

A pound (450g) of crystal meth can produce about 6 pounds (3kg) of waste. Manufacturers often pour waste chemicals and other unwanted byproducts down drains, toilets, streams, or directly onto the ground.  So widespread is the manufacture of this drug in New Zealand that some of the chemicals and equipment used in its manufacture used to be sold in corner shops and dairies.

From How to Do Things.com

“Knowing how to recognize a meth lab can help stop drug trafficking in your neighborhood. Having a good neighborhood watch system in place is imperative in all neighborhoods these days. If neighbors pay close attention, they should be able to spot garbage items that are ingredients to make crystal meth and then contact the authorities to take over from there. Here are more tips to determine if a meth lab is in your neighborhood:

1. Strong, unpleasant smells. Anyone who has ever owned a cat will recognize the acrid smell of ammonia.  If you notice a “cat urine” smell strongly emanating from a nearby building, or notice any other strong chemical smells, it’s unlikely that cats are to blame – especially if any of the following observations coincide with the smell.
2. Deliberate attempts to prevent anyone from seeing inside the building. Often the questionable building either has no windows or, more suspiciously, the windows are covered somehow.
3. Lots of traffic. A meth lab will have many frequent, brief visits at strange hours of the day, often at night in the hopes that all neighbors are asleep.
4. Copious quantities of garbage. Meth ingredients obviously involve chemicals. A meth labs uses lots of laboratory chemicals like stove fuel, white gasoline, ammonia, propane tanks, paint thinner and antifreeze, not to mention cold and diet pills.  And other labratory supplies involve equipment like glass containers and tubing is always in use.  If your neighbor is careless enough to leave all of the empty containers out on the curb for garbage pickup, then the sheer quantity of trash should make you suspicious.  But you should never inspect the garbage yourself; meth lab equipment and waste are extremely hazardous. It’s far more likely that your neighbor will never leave the garbage out at the curb for pickup, but instead always ship the garbage elsewhere so as to avoid detection.
5. Secrecy. Whether in an apartment or a house, your neighbor will likely want nothing to do with you.  If you’ve tried to interact with your neighbor, but always found yourself talking through a closed or barely cracked door (and notice any other strange activity or smells), the neighbor may be hiding a meth lab from you.  However, you must never approach a building or residence where you already suspect meth cooking. Not only might the lab explode, but also the toxic fumes of a meth lab can kill a person.
6. Rent paid in cash. If you’re a landlord, a tenant running a meth lab would almost certainly pay rent in cash.
7. All this, and then nothing. When people know they are making meth, the cookers often abandon their meth labs, but that hardly means you and other neighbors can breathe a sigh of relief yet.  An abandoned meth lab is still a toxic environment containing hazardous, volatile waste.  Report such a building to local law enforcement.”

Buying A Home In The Manawatu? Check Out The Contaminated Sites Lists Too.

Yesterday we blogged about home buyers  being advised to have drug testing carried out on their properties prior to purchase: to detect houses that have been contaminated by manufacture of the drug P.

Today the Manawatu Standard has used the Official Information Act to obtain Horizons Regional Council‘s database of Hazardous Activities and Industries List and contaminated sites, which is down on 2009′s list of from around 350 to 300 sites.

Among the  330 contaminated sites listed are at least 8 P Labs, with the remainder comprising petrol stations, landfills and industries such as timber treatment mills and drycleaners, most of which aren’t health risks.

Unlike the P labs.

According to the Standard, the P sites include

• Ferndale Pl residence in Feilding - raided by police in November after they suspected it was being used to house the manufacture of methamphetamine.
• Another site in Feilding
• Two sites in Palmerston North
• one in Taumaranui
• one in Owhango
• one in Marton
• and one near Shannon.

Unfortunately the paper held back from naming the exact locations, so the public are none the wiser. Read more on the Standard’s website

Related Story

Charges after P, kids found in house, November 2010, NZ Herald:

“Two men and a woman have been charged after a police drugs raid yesterday on a suspected drug house in Manawatu where three pre-school children were also found.

More than $40,000 in cash, a small number of point bags of methamphetamine, cannabis, scales and documentation indicative of drug dealing were recovered during the raid on the Ferndale Place, Feilding, house, police said.

A 26-year-old Northland man, 23-year-old Hamilton woman and a 45-year-old Feilding man were arrested and charged with offences ranging from conspiring to supply methamphetamine, possession for its supply, possession of material for its manufacture…”

Home!

As part of our Migrant Tales series we have a section dedicated to tales from expats returning home after living in New Zealand.

A surprisingly high number of immigrants from western countries move on from New Zealand after a few years and it isn’t as easy pulling up sticks and going home as  you’d  think it is. But, despite the recession it is possible to get re-established in the UK and enjoy being back.

This is the story of one family’s return to Cumbria in the UK and is collated from posts made on a NZ expat forum.

June 2010

well, it’s been a while (5 weeks ackshully) – we’re home!

flights from Akl to Man were fine, though frankly, I’m never EVER undertaking such a thing with a 3 year old and an 11 week old again

upon reflection, unemigrating is a hell of a lot harder than emigrating in the first place!

no regrets, but jeez it’s been tough… improving now – we got the keys for somewhere to live at the weekend, and our container turned up yesterday – only 5 (yes FIVE) weeks after leaving Auckland!!

still no jobs for either of us, but it looks like I’ve picked up some contract work from next week… i’ve got an application in for a proper job too, so keeping fingers crossed for that! We’ve done our sums, and it looks likely that OH will be staying at home looking after the little ones for a year or two as I’ve more chance of getting a half-decent job here than he has – he prob needs to retrain, or we need to head to Manchester or London for his work, which we don’t really want to do…

we’ve been staying with various family and friends since we got back – it’s been lovely catching up with everyone, and in many ways like we never left.

The weather has been stunning (specially for cumbria ) and has mostly been sunny and warm. We’ve been out walking most days – a few days after we got back we headed out at half-past stupid (thanks to the jetlag and baby!) and walked round one of the local tarns – it’s surrounded by beech woodland and the colour of the leaves was stunning – we were back in time for the bluebells too, and the smell wafted gently on the breeze…

We really have been wondering why on earth we ever thought we might be able to improve on life somewhere else!

We had a week of euphoria on getting back, then the inevitable crash happened… what have we done? no jobs, no home, two kids aaaargh….

It will get better though – we’ve got a roof over our heads now, and hopefully soon we’ll be able to pay for it too

right, enough rambling! hope you’re all well, and it’s not too chilly down there!

will hopefully have broadband some time next week, so maybe see you again then!

January 2011

well, happy new year!

this is my goodbye – i’ve not had chance to post for such a long time – missed you, but i think i need to delete my expats bookmark now!

we’ve been home for 8 months… it really has been tough, but we’ve made absolutely the right decision… i’ve been working full time on a weekly contract since july, and this week have managed to land a full time, well paid job which will pay enough to keep us all, and we can finally stop dipping into our savings to get by on the basics (good job really, there’s barely anything left!)

our little Kiwi will turn one at the end of Feb – can’t believe that a year ago, i was the size of a house and pottering my way through a hot kiwi summer…

his big sister is now broad cumbrian, with an occasional kiwi twang, which makes us all chuckle… she’s a happy little girl again who is loving nursery and enjoying spending time with her extended family and friends, and quite often says how happy she is now we’re not in nz any more (though she does miss our best mates, and wanted to go for a bbq last weekend!!)

OH still hasn’t got work, but hopefully with my new job, he’ll be able to work out what he can retrain in… after i messed my interview up on tuesday, we really thought we were going to have to head to manchester for work for us both, so it was a HUUUUUGE relief when they called to offer me the job! (not that there’s anything wrong with manchester of course – it’s just it’s not where we want to be!)

just need to find somewhere to live, buy a car and sort out a school for september now!

phew

hope everyone’s well