Hawke's Bay Regional Council has admitted it has egg on its face over plans to upgrade the quality of domestic woodburners.
Last month, it publicly notified proposed regulations for Napier and Hastings, which aim to significantly reduce smoke pollution in both cities by 2013.
Chairman Rex McIntyre says councillors assumed the whole issue would be open to a full public consultation and submission process.
But Mr McIntyre says a provision in the Resource Management Act means the rule relating to the quality of woodburner in a house that was being sold took effect immediately.
He says the council will meet next month to discuss the possibility of reviewing the house sale rule or withdrawing the entire plan change.
