More than 40 people have complained to the Otago Regional Council (ORC) pollution hotline and many more have commented on social media over a burnoff at land owned by Universal Developments in Lake Hāwea.

ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said ORC had visited the site next to the Longview SHA (special housing area) on the south side of Cemetery Road twice since the complaints started rolling in on Wednesday (May 25).

“We would like to reassure the community that we are aware of this burn off and we are monitoring it closely,” Tami said.

The council has advised the property owner to extinguish the burnoff which has generated the smoke complaints, she said. 

Universal Developments owner Lane Hocking confirmed to the Wanaka App this afternoon the fire was being extinguished.

“We’ve finished this stage of the burn and are extinguishing the fires as requested by the ORC,” Lane said.

Cherilyn Walthew described the amount of fuel being burned as “colossal.”

Lake Hāwea residents said the smoke effects from the burnoff had been severe and questioned the decision to start the fire given the still weather conditions.

One resident reported being awoken by her daughter during the night as she believed the house was on fire because of the smoke; others reported coughing and sore lungs after brief periods outside, including to see the Super Blood Moon on Wednesday night. 

Lane apologised for the impacts of the burnoff.

“The southerly wind this morning sent smoke towards the township and we’d like to apologise to the community for that,” he said. “We are working on an approach for any future fires that will limit the impact on others.”

Hāwea Community Association (HCA) chair Cherilyn Walthew, who has a clear view of the site from where she lives, said the amount of fuel being burned was “colossal”.

“I’m just absolutely gob-smacked [the developer] can get away with this,” she said.

Cherilyn said she planned to contact ORC councillors to request a ban of any further burnoffs at the Hāwea site, suggesting instead that the debris be mulched and used for dust suppression.

Tami said the ORC was working with Universal Developments to ensure the burnoff - and other planned burnoffs - would have “as little impact on the community as possible”.

“Strategies to minimise community impact include choosing days with a slight northerly breeze to help take the smoke away from the township of Hāwea and avoiding days that have an inversion layer which trap smoke at ground level,” she said.

PHOTOS: Supplied