Check before lighting up outdoors in Hawke's Bay

Published: 1 May 2026

These areas are known as airsheds and are legally designated air quality management areas, with specific rules about what can and cannot be burned outdoors.

This is the time of year when smoke tends to hang low, posing health risks to the community. Smoke from backyard fires may not seem like a big deal, but it builds up across the airsheds on cold, still days and lingers in our neighbourhoods. While outdoor burning is banned in the urban airsheds, barbecues and hāngī fires are still permitted.

Regional Council Deputy Chair Jerf van Beek says during the seasonal ban the most important thing to remember is to check before you burn. “If your property is not in an airshed, make sure you know what you can burn. We want people outside the airshed boundaries to pause and think about the weather conditions, and check if any of the items you are planning on burning are on the banned list. Unless it’s dry garden rubbish, dry untreated wood, or paper or cardboard, it’s a hard no.”

Cr van Beek reminds growers, farmers and lifestyle block residents of the strict conditions they must operate under, if they feel the need to burn.

“Burning on horticultural production land is not allowed if the wind is likely to cause smoke to drift towards the airsheds, block visibility on nearby roads, or if the conditions are calm, that is, if the wind speed at one metre above ground is less than three metres per second.”

Cr van Beek notes that there are alternatives available to burning these days.

He adds that winter burning can be very disruptive to nearby neighbours and the rest of the community. “The right to burn can easily be lost if it is not carried out appropriately.”

To check if your property is in an airshed, and for a full list of prohibited items, visit hbrc.govt.nz and search outdoor burning.

• For more information about air quality, including what affects air quality, wind speed and wind direction data, and other relevant monitoring carried out by Regional Council, click here.

• If your property is affected by outdoor burning, call the Pollution Hotline, 0800 108 838.

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