A Budget announcement has forced Hawke's Bay Regional Council to revise plans to help homeowners finance new fires which comply with national environmental standards.
In December, the council published proposed regulations aimed at reducing smoke emissions from more than 12,000 domestic fires in Napier and Hastings.
The council banked on the $83 million cost being met by $18 million in subsidies from EECA, $54 million from homeowners and $11 million in interest free loans from the council.
Chairman Alan Dick says the Government's home insulation package effectively cuts EECA funding for new fires to $12 million. That's forced the council to rejig its loan scheme.
For many householders, the EECA grant has been cut to $500.
Mr Dick says that means the council has to find an extra $8 million to keep its original assistance package intact
He says loans will be cut by $500 and only half of this will be interest free.
