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National environmental standards for air quality

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In October 2004, the Government introduced the national environmental standards for air quality.

The 14 standards include:

  • seven standards banning activities that discharge significant quantities of dioxins and other toxics into the air
  • five standards for ambient (outdoor) air quality
  • a design standard for new wood burners installed in urban areas
  • a requirement for landfills over 1 million tonnes of refuse to collect greenhouse gas emissions.

On 10th June 2009, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced a review of the national environmental standards for air quality.  For further information on the review please refer to the review of the national environmental standards for air quality.

For information about timelines for when the standards came into effect, see when the national environmental standards for air quality came into effect.

Since this time, regional councils and unitary authorities have identified areas where air quality is likely, or known, to exceed national air quality standards. These areas are known as airsheds. For information on air quality in these airsheds see National environmental standards: Airsheds.

Implementation

The design standards for new wood burners are fundamental to improving ambient air quality in urban areas of New Zealand.  Therefore, in 2005 the Ministry, in partnership with Environment Canterbury and Nelson City Council, commenced a national performance review of wood burners to see how the design standards are working in practice.  The review was completed in early 2008.

National Environmental Standards amendments

The National Environmental Standards were amended in July 2005. The amendments to the standard have been made at the request from local government to provide them with more flexibility in how they reach the agreed goal of meeting the ambient fine particle (PM10) standard by 1 September 2013.

The amendments clarify that the restriction of granting of resource consents applies only to significant discharges and also makes explicit provision for the use of offsets. The amendments also allow for councils to choose a straight line path or a curved line path to achieve the PM10 level set for 1 September 2013. Further, there are a number of minor technical changes.

We have prepared a consolidated version of the amended regulations.

Additional guidance

The Ministry for the Environment has produced a "National Environmental Standards Users Guide", which provides a plain English outline of what the regulations mean, and how they should be implemented. The Users Guide has been prepared primarily for local government who are responsible for implementing the standards. This document was updated in 2005 to incorporate technical amendments

The Ministry has also compiled a national list of authorised wood burners that have been tested and found to meet the performance requirements of the national wood burner standard. The Ministry also ran the Warm Homes Project to investigate how families can be encouraged to make their homes more energy efficient and to install cleaner heating.

General air information is also available on the Ministry's clean air programme.

Copies of the regulation

The regulations were gazetted and came into effect on 8th October 2004. Copies of the regulations and amendments can be purchased from Government bookstores, or are available online in consolidated form (including amendments).

Material incorporated by reference in the regulations is available for viewing during working hours, free of charge at the Ministry for the Environment Wellington Office, 23 Kate Sheppard Place, Thorndon, Wellington.

Copies of the Joint Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS) incorporated in the regulations are available for purchase from Standards New Zealand.

Copies of Australian Standards incorporated in the regulations are available for purchase from Standards New Zealand.

The Basel Convention is available on the Secretariat of the Basel Convention website and for purchase from Earthprint.

Also incorporated in the regulations is the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40 – Protection of Environment, Volume 2, Part 50, Appendix J – Reference method for the determination of particulate matter as PM10 in the atmosphere available on the US Environmental Protection Authority website and for purchase at the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

Cost-benefit analysis

Section 32 of the Resource Management Act requires the Minister for the Environment to evaluate the objectives and policies of any national standards. These are available for the proposed air quality standards and the proposed landfill gas collection standard.

Regulatory impact statements

In addition to the Section 32 cost benefit analysis, Regulatory Impact Statements were prepared for the air quality and landfill gas proposals. These provide information to Cabinet on the costs and benefits of the proposed regulations.

Submissions for national environmental standards

Submissions on the proposed standards were called for in late 2003. Reports were prepared summarising submissions received for the proposed national environmental standards for air quality and the proposed national environmental standard for landfill gas.

If you would like more information on the air quality standards please contact standards@mfe.govt.nz.

Last updated: 25 November 2008