Why can't you burn garden waste in Auckland?

rats123, Sep 21, 7:19am
I don't understand why we're not allowed to burn garden waste in Auckland when we can burn wood in our fire places inside our homes. By garden waste I'm talking about dead vegetation here like grass clippings, branches from pruned trees etc. Not talking about anything nasty.

owen106, Sep 21, 7:30am
Grass clippings make great compost and would be far to wet to burn without massive clouds of smoke. Branches could be used as kindling.

kevymtnz, Sep 21, 7:34am
rats - reason why all backyard burning needs to be banned, people like you get the hose over the fence till its out

androth2, Sep 21, 8:37am
I was told that smoke, not from a house chimney, may produce a fire brigade call out by the police helicopter, and a large false call out fee if just garden rubbish. Recently in Auckland I saw an obvious garden fire of grass, with lots of white smoke drifting into shops until the Fire brigade arrived

axelvonduisberg, Sep 21, 9:16am
When one considers the smog effect of fires in Christchurch over winter, and the smog that is prevalent in many large cities in the Northern hemisphere all year round one would expect the answer to be quite self evident.

Burning of vegetation in built up areas causes pollution, and a nuisance and prevents others having enjoyment of their own property, not to mention dirties ones washing etc.

lythande1, Sep 21, 9:28am
Who says you can't? Only if a fire ban and that's normally not urban.

wasgonna, Sep 21, 9:45am
What the heck has Christchurch and Northern Hemisphere got to do with Auckland you clown. Totally different weather patterns for a start but there are a lot of miserable moaning neighbours like you in Auckland.

ianab, Sep 21, 10:52am
Lots of urban areas have banned it because people DO try and burn lawn clippings, green hedge trimmings etc, and smoke out their neighbours.

Now you can go and buy a cheap outdoor fire thingy from the Warehouse, and sit around that with your beers if you are burning dryish wood, and there is little smoke. Likely no one knows, and it's not smoking out the whole street. Same with a good wood burner, the flue is 20ft up, and it should be burning fairly clean.

But some people can light a garden waste fire that's visible from space!

I've been cleaning up storm damaged trees for a friend, so I know. But they are classed as rural, and we do check the wind before we fire up the rubbish pile.

flancrest, Sep 21, 10:53am
Cheer up!