Survey seeks opinion on rural burn-offs

June 17th, 2014

Residents of the Motueka ward who have opinions about the use of fire to burn off orchard waste have the opportunity to voice concerns or support through a large-scale online survey.

The survey is being conducted by Scion, a Crown Research Institute that specialises in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood product and wood-derived materials and other biomaterial sectors.

This survey focuses on the use of fire in rural land management, and should take no more than 30 minutes to complete in total.

This is of particular importance to local residents, as complaints arise from time to time about the smoke generated by orchardists around this time of each year as they burn diseased and pruned limbs.

Anyone, rural or town-based, can take part in the survey. The questions are clear and easy to answer. You can take part by clicking on this link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/Rural_Fire

Scion says fire is used in the rural sector by a wide ranging group of people. "Because it is such a useful tool in rural areas, we need to provide guidelines for safe and sustainable use.

"We need to identify who is most likely to be affected by changes in policy or practice. We want to hear from all people who have a view on fire use in their local area."

The use of fire in rural New Zealand is widespread. While fire use has great benefit to land managers, it also carries risk. New Zealand has over 3000 wildfires per year, of which around 20% are the result of land management burns escaping or becoming out of control.

But the benefits associated with rural fire are in maintaining productive farming land, as well as maintaining natural ecosystems and managing fuel loads, sterilising soils, and burning off rubbish and crop debris.

The survey seeks to help Scion better understand how fire is being used, why people are using fire, what are considered to be safe practice, and how fire use impacts on the local landscape and neighbouring communities.

"We would like your perspectives on the benefits and risks to local communities, business operations and the rural environment from fire use.

"The answers you provide will help to guide further research around improving the safe, effective and sustainable use of fire as a land management tool and the development of best-practice guidelines."

Comment by Richard Neal:
[Posted 29 June 2014]

My main concern is for the residents of Motueka when burn-offs take place, because in the winter time the smoke just hangs around and we have to breath all this foul air which creates a health hazard.

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