No Smoke Inspectors

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30980, 9 February 1966, Page 1

No Smoke Inspectors

The Smoke Re- ' strictions Regulations, ( 1964, cannot be applied : to the letter of the I law because New Zea- ! land has no qualified j smoke inspectors. In the Christchurch city area there has been co-opera-tion between industrial premises affected by the regulations, and the City Council, and the Chief City Health Inspector (Mr A. P. Millthorpe) said yesterday that in many cases what had been a nuisance had been alleviated by co-operation between health inspectors and the owners of properties with smoke-stacks.

Not all the trouble spots had been eliminated, Mr Millthorpe said, but there was better co-operation than there had been in the past. The regulations provide for an absolute exemption for one year from the date they are enforced, and then there is a temporary exemption for existing furnaces from the more onerous provisions for a period of seven years, subject to compliance with several conditions. But the regulations are not enforceable without smoke inspectors, duly qualified. The council has co-operat-ed with the Health Department in supplying health inspectors for the first smoke inspectors’ course, and before

long there will be qualified inspectors. In the meantime the council's health department is telling occupiers of premises. in which chimneys are considered to be affected by the regulations of their obligations. Where there are new installations, building engineers pass to the health inspectors all plans involving the erection of a furnace and I chimney before a building permit is issued. I Christchurch's smoke and i smog have been studied by a I special air pollution committee of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority, and its final report is expect- . ed to be announced within the I next two months.