Environment » Air quality » Fire and burner information » Enclosed burners
Enclosed burners
Banned as of 1 January 2010
The use of old enclosed burners is banned in these areas at the end of 2009:
Airshed A: Hospital area, Bishopdale, Victory, Toi Toi, between the colleges, Washington Valley
Airshed B1: Tahunanui and Tahunanui Hills south of The Cliffs
Enclosed burners installed before 1996 can no longer be used.
Airshed B2: Stoke, Wakatu and Enner Glynn
Enclosed burners installed before 1991 can no longer be used.
Council is providing financial help for those who need to replace their burner with a clean heat alternative and upgrade their insulation. Find out more about the Clean Heat Warm Homes programme.
IMPORTANT NOTE!! Plan ahead
If you decide to replace your old enclosed burner with a new enclosed burner, you must have the building consent application lodged with Council well before the phase out date for your existing burner has passed. After, you can no longer apply to install a new burner! Be sure to plan ahead.
2012 / 2013 deadlines
Keep reading for details about the deadlines in 2012 and 2013.
What is an enclosed burner?
An enclosed burner is a small-scale fuel burning appliance, where combustion of solid fuel occurs within a firebox enclosed by a door, and where there is generally a controlled supply of air to the fire. It includes free-standing or in-built woodburners, pellet fires, potbelly stoves, multi-fuel burners like Junos and 'chippies', and coal ranges, but excludes any open fire.
Am I affected?
Don't know if your home is affected by the air quality rules? Get help here.
Examples of enclosed burners
Freestanding woodburner
Pellet burner
Potbelly
Replacing your enclosed burner
If your house has an enclosed burner, you may need to replace it between now and 2013. This depends on where you live and when your burner was installed.
In the hospital area/Victory Square/Washington Valley and Tahunanui area burners (Airsheds A and B1):
- installed prior to 31 December 1995 cannot be used after 1 January 2010
- installed between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1999 cannot be used after 1 January 2012
- installed after 1 January 2000 that are not authorised burners cannot be used after 1 January 2013.
In the Stoke/Wakatu/Enner Glynn area burners (Airshed B2):
- installed prior to 31 December 1990 cannot be used after 1 January 2010
- installed between 1 January 1991 and before 31 December 1995 cannot be used after 1 January 2012
Burners in The Wood, The Brook, Nile St area, Atawhai, seaward side of the Port Hills, and Todds Valley - all in Airshed C - as well as The Glen and in the rural area are not subject to compulsory phase-out rules and can continue to be used.
Best replacement choice
When replacing your enclosed burner the best heating choice you can make for Nelson’s air quality is a non-polluting heater such as a heat pump, electric heater or flued gas heater. You can also choose a Council authorised woodburner or pellet burner to replace your enclosed burner. However if you want to do this you must apply for a consent to install a burner before the phase out dates above, except for ultra-low emission pellet burners which can be installed after the phase out dates.
In the urban Nelson area, and on rural properties less than 2 hectares in size, the only enclosed burners that can replace an existing lawfully established open fireplace or burner are those authorised by the Council as meeting clean air emission and efficiency standards.
Approved woodburners
Click here for a list of Council-approved woodburners.
Approved pellet burners
A complete list of Council-approved ultra low emission pellet burners.
Other clean heating options
Learn more about other clean heating options available that improve Nelson's air quality.
My existing burner doesn't have a building permit
This is easily fixed! You do have to get that legalised before you can access the Council’s loan programme or replace your burner with another one.
If you want to replace your non-consented burner as soon as possible with an authorised burner you will need to fill out a Burner Authentication Form and apply to the Council and an inspector will call in to check it out. This process costs $70. Burner Authentication Form (PDF @ 15KB).
If you want to carry on using your non-consented burner before replacing it at a later date it may be worth getting an unauthorised building works report from one of the Council’s approved building consultants. This may ensure your burner is safe to continue using, and also 'cleans up' your house's file, making it easier for re-sale or for when you replace the burner with another. Contact the Council on +64 3 546 0200 for a list of approved consultants.
I am building a new home
If you are building a new house or if you don't have an existing fire, you can install an ultra-low emission pellet burner.
Pellet burners are a special type of small-scale wood burning appliance that burn small compressed sawdust pellets. Because the fuel is of a regular size and moisture content, and pellets are fed into the fire by an electrically driven auger, they burn much more effectively than other woodburners. Some of these burners are so efficient with very low emissions that they can be installed where no previous fireplace existed. A complete list of Council-approved ultra low emission pellet burners.
Help available
You can get house insulation and your heater changed under the Council’s Clean Heat Warm Homes 'Pay as you Heat' programme if you have to stop using your burner because of the rules above, and if your burner is the main form of heating in the main living room. Council does it all for you and you repay the costs on your rates, spread over 10 years. And there is extra help if you receive the Government's Rates Rebate. Read more about the Clean Heat Warm Homes programme.