The Northland Regional Council has raised the bar for a proposed coal-fired power station near Whangarei, citing strong local concerns about the project.
Independent commissioners have been considering a proposal by Mighty River Power to start running the old Marsden B station on coal, but they have not yet released their decision.
The council's air quality manager Paul Baynham says having heard submissions from locals, the council has tightened restrictions on dioxin emissions and the quantity of seawater the station could use.
However some locals say they are not reassured by the council's new recommendations and are already gearing up for an appeal if the coal-fired power station gains consent.
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