Apologies for the profanity but no other word seemed to be sufficient to express the absurdity.

Much of Hawkes Bay is in a “dry” From the Ruahines to the Pacific so lighting a fire has been verboten.

In truth tinder dry still applies.

A Farmer I know in “The Food Bowl of NZ” cut down some old rees and separated out the wood from the trees leaving slash in a pile on retired crop land, ie no vegetation present, to be burnt.
“Slash” the bane of the rural East Coast that made the devastation of Gabriel exponentially worse.

Rings the Crat at Council to discuss options after cultivating the bare land around the piled slash thinking a permit to burn could eventuate.
Well yes that could be arranged after a visit by a “Council official” to approve the set up and available precautions in situ ready to respond.
BUT and it was quite a but, at 0800 hrs tomorrow morning the current bans will be lifted and “no permit required”??? WTF!!

Suddenly a mere fifteen hours pass and a critical danger evaporates, give me strength.

0800 hrs? now I know a bit about the utter insanity involved, a dawn ignition following a heavy dew would be of greater advantage in ensuring safety.
But no, a Crat likely with a parchment from an institution, has such wonderful knowledge and understanding, the time the “Office Opens” tomorrow morning will be the ideal time to light the fire.
What a waste of Oxygen.