Air quality publications

National Environmental Standards documents | Best practice guides and guidelines | Technical reports | Consultation documents

National Environmental Standards documents

Name	Date	Reference
National Wood Burner Performance Review: Phase 2	April 2008	ME875
National Wood Burner Performance Review: Phase 1	June 2007	ME815
Updated Users Guide to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards Relating to Certain Air Pollutants, Dioxins and Other Toxics) Regulations 2004 (Including Amendments 2005) (second draft)	October 2005	ME695
What you need to know if you are installing a wood burner - A guide for retailers and wood burner owners	July 2005	INFO 133
Proposed National Environmental Standard to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Landfills Resource Management Act Section 32: Analysis of the costs and benefits	May 2004	ME515
Proposed National Environmental Standards for Air Quality: Analysis of the costs and benefits	May 2004	ME514
Proposed National Environmental Standards for Landfill Gas: Report on Submissions	February 2004	ME504
Proposed National Environmental Standards for Air Quality: Report on Submissions	February 2004	ME503
Proposed Prohibited Standards	October 2003	INFO 38
Proposed emission design standard for wood and coal burning appliances in houses	October 2003	INFO 37

Best practice guides and guidelines

Guidance documents provide well-debated, current expert advice for managing air quality issues. These are not legislation, but can be useful for decision making under the Resource Management Act.

Name	Date	Reference
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Industry	June 2008	ME880
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Industry: Report on Submissions on Draft for Consultation	June 2008	ME882
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Land Transport	June 2008	ME881
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Land Transport: Report on Submissions on Draft for Consultation	June 2008	ME883
Good Practice Guide for Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling	June 2004	ME522
Good Practice Guide for Assessing and Managing Odour in New Zealand	June 2003	ME473
Ambient Air Quality Guidelines	May 2002	ME438
Good Practice Guide for Assessing and Managing the Environmental Effects of Dust Emissions	September 2001	ME408
Good Practice Guide for Monitoring and Management of Visibility in New Zealand	August 2001	ME406
Good Practice Guide for Preparing Emissions Inventories	2001	SMF1
Good Practice Guide for Air Quality Monitoring and Data Management	December 2000	ME369
Compliance Monitoring and Emission Testing of Discharges to Air	August 1998	ME285
Odour Management under the Resource Management Act	1995	ME165

Technical reports

Information for development of national environmental standards

Name	Date	Reference
Emission Inventories for CO, NOx, SO₂, ozone, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene in New Zealand	November 2003	AQTR44
Health effects of CO, NO₂, SO₂, ozone, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene in New Zealand	November 2003	AQTR43
Monitoring of CO, NO₂, SO₂, ozone, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene in New Zealand	October 2003	AQTR42
Amenity Effects of PM₁₀ and TSP Concentrations in New Zealand	August 2003	AQTR41
Monitoring of PM₁₀ in New Zealand	August 2003	AQTR40
Health Effects of PM₁₀ in New Zealand	August 2003	AQTR39
Emission Inventories for PM₁₀ in New Zealand	August 2003	AQTR38

Domestic home heating emissions and air quality

Name	Date	Reference
Warm Homes Technical Report: Real-life Emissions Testing of Pellet Burners in Tokoroa	June 2007	ME813
Warm Homes Technical Report: Real-life Emissions Testing of Wood Burners in Tokoroa	June 2007	ME814
Reducing Emissions from Domestic Home Heating	May 2002	AQTR26

Review of the 1994 Ambient Air Quality Guidelines

Name	Date	Reference
Recommended Amendments to the Ambient Air Quality Guidelines 1994	October 2000	AQTR23
Meeting Notes and Analysis of Reviewers Comments	October 2000	AQTR22
Effects of Air Contaminants on Ecosystems and Recommended Critical Levels and Critical Loads	October 2000	AQTR15
Preliminary Review of Strategies for Managing Air Quality	October 2000	AQTR14
Health Effects of Eleven Hazardous Air Contaminants and Recommended Evaluation Criteria	October 2000	AQTR13
Health Effects of Five Common Air Contaminants and Recommended Protective Ranges	October 2000	AQTR12

Environmental Reporting – air quality

Name	Date	Reference
Monitoring air quality in New Zealand	June 2007	INFO 195
Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand: Christchurch Pilot Study	August 2005
Visibility in New Zealand – National Risk Assessment	October 2000	AQTR18
Preliminary Assessment of Human Health Indicators of Air Quality	June 1999	AQTR55
Review of Environmental Performance Indicators for Toxic Contaminants in the environment - air, water and land	October 1998	TR37
Environmental Performance Indicators: Confirmed Indicators for Air, Fresh Water and Land	October 1998	ME293
Review of Environmental Performance Indicators for Toxic Contaminants in the Environment	October 1998	AQTR37
Air Quality Monitoring Sites in New Zealand and an Analysis of Site Classifications	July 1998	AQTR8
Environmental Performance Indicators: Proposals for Air, Fresh Water and Land	October 1997	ME259
Draft core set of national air quality indicators: Report of focus workshop on development of environmental indicators for air	July 1996	TR1
NIWA: National ambient air quality monitoring network for New Zealand	June 1995	TR2

Air pollution and New Zealand ecosystems

Name	Date	Reference
Summary of Findings and Priorities for Investigation	February 1999	AQTR4
Focus Group Meeting Notes	June 1998	AQTR3
Interim Conclusions and Recommended Investigations	June 1998	AQTR2
Review of National and International Research	June 1998	AQTR1

Vehicle emissions and air quality

Name	Date	Reference
Lower Sulphur Diesel	August 2005	MED publication
Ambient Air Quality and Pollution Levels in New Zealand: Targets for Vehicle Emissions Control	December 1998	AQTR9
Hydrocarbon Emissions from Transport	April 1998	AQTR7
Transport Emissions Study – Modelling and Monitoring	September 1997	AQTR6
Ozone Levels in Auckland and Canterbury	August 1997	AQTR5

Global Environmental Monitoring Strategy (GEMS)

The Ministry also runs the Global Environmental Monitoring Strategy (GEMS) monitoring sites in New Zealand. Particle, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead and carbon monoxide concentrations are measured at two sites in Auckland and one in Christchurch. The monitoring data collected are fed into the Environmental Performance Indicators Programme and sent to the World Health Organisation as part of a worldwide collection of monitoring data. Annual GEMS monitoring reports are available.

Consultation documents

The Ministry is not currently consulting on any air documents. Past documents used for discussion are available below.

Past consultation documents

Name	Date	Reference
Review of Odour Management in New Zealand – Technical Report	August 2002	AQTR24
Proposals for Revised and New Ambient Air Quality Guidelines: A Summary of Submissions Received on the Discussion Document and Proposals for Amendments	September 2001	ME414
Review of the Ambient Air Quality Guidelines: Seeking Comments from Māori	April 2001	AQTR30
Review of the Ambient Air Quality Guidelines: Summary	January 2001	INFO 15
Proposals for Revised and New Ambient Air Quality Guidelines – Discussion Document	December 2000	ME379

Workshop reports and presentations

Workshop reports summarise discussions during consultation to develop the guides and technical reports. Presentations made during the workshops are also included.

Name	Date
Odour Management Workshops	9 and 18 October 2002
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring and Data Management Workshop	16 March 2001
Emissions Testing Course - Christchurch	31 July - 1 August 2000
Dust, Odour and Visibility Workshops	11 and 12 May 2000