Crackdown on fans will put jobs 'at risk'

One billion dollars of Marlborough wine and thousands of jobs could be put at risk if a planned crackdown on the use of frost fans is given the green light, a hearings committee was told yesterday.

A district plan change to tighten rules on the use of frost fans in Marlborough is being considered by commissioner Ron Crosby and Marlborough district councillors Peter Jerram and Graeme Taylor, following long-running complaints from some rural residents that the fans, used to protect vulnerable grapevines from night-time frost damage, keep them awake.

The proposed changes would require new frost fans to meet a new noise standard of 55 decibels and for that standard to be met 300m from the fan or at the notional boundary of any house not on the same property, whichever is the least distance.

However, the hearings committee was left in no doubt over the feelings of wine industry group New Zealand Winegrowers [NZW] yesterday, hearing from the group's counsel, chief executive, chairman, acoustic expert and consultant resource management planner, as well as a vineyard operator and a winegrower.

NZW counsel David McGregor urged the hearings committee to put the proposed changes on hold so more monitoring of the effect of frost fans could be done, which the group would be willing to help pay for.

NZW chief executive Philip Gregan said the ability to use frost fans on a permitted basis in rural zones was of "critical importance" to the industry and, beyond that, the region.

"Without such provision thousands of jobs and $1b worth of Marlborough wine could one day be put at risk in the event of a catastrophic frost."

It was already a challenging time for the industry, with Marlborough's grapegrowers and wineries experiencing the most difficult trading conditions in 20 years, Mr Gregan said.

NZW chairman Stuart Smith said Marlborough would return to being the "dust bowl [it was] before the wine industry transformed it" if normal rural activities on large parts of the region's land were limited.

"With that change will go vital income for the region."

Mr Smith acknowledged some wine growing was taking place in frost-prone areas, but said climatic changes had also played a part in the growing need for frost protection. His own family vineyard did not suffer its first frost event until 2002 – 20 years after grapes were first planted.

NZW acoustic consultant Nevil Hegley also suggested the 55 decibel noise limit be increased to 60 decibels for frost fans in less frost-prone areas.

Ad Feedback "In setting any noise control the frequency of use of frost fans is important. If the frost fans were to be used one night a year, a higher noise level would be acceptable than should the fans be used for a significant number of nights a year. I believe the majority of frost fans would be acceptable at 60 decibels."

The noise limit could even be increased to 65 decibels in vineyards with the lowest history of frosts, based on climate data for the previous five or 10 years.

Meanwhile, Mr Crosby gave NZW until the end of the week to find examples of cases where a plan change amnesty had been given to existing fan owners after concerns were raised on Tuesday that existing owners could be caught up in the proposed plan changes if their fans were tested and found not to meet the proposed 55 decibel limit. That could occur if a complaint about a fan's noise was made to the Marlborough District Council or if fan owners moved their fans or retro-fitted them with quieter blades.

The committee reserved its decision after submissions ended yesterday.