Skip to main content.

Air quality publications

Archived publications

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

National Environmental Standards documents

Name Date Reference
2011 Users' Guide to the revised National Environmental Standards for Air Quality September 2011 ME 1068
Clean Healthy Air for All New Zealanders: The National Air Quality Compliance Strategy to Meet the PM10 standard August 2011 ME 1064
Revised National Environmental Standards for Air Quality: Evaluation under Section 32 of the Resource Management Act April 2011 ME 1041
New Zealand Domestic Solid Fuel Burner Authorisation Manual March 2011 Edition March 2011 ME 1043
Proposed Amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality – Report on Submissions January 2011 ME 1037
Regulatory impact statement: Amending the PM10 Air Quality Standards: Final Recommendations (PDF, 715 KB) November 2010  
Proposed Amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality – Discussion Document June 2010 ME 1018
Air Quality – Getting the Balance Right: Report of the Technical Advisory Group on National Air-Quality Standards November 2009 CR 90
The value of air quality standards: Review and update of cost benefit analysis of National Environmental Standards on air quality October 2009 CR 89
2008 Report on Progress: National Environmental Standards for Air Quality June 2009 ME 945
National Wood Burner Performance Review: Phase 2 April 2008 ME 875
National Wood Burner Performance Review: Phase 1 June 2007 ME 815
What you need to know if you are installing a wood burner - A guide for retailers and wood burner owners July 2005 INFO 133

Back to top

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 Air Quality Monitoring and Data Management 2009 April 2009 ME 933
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Industry June 2008 ME 880
Good Practice Guide for Assessing Discharges to Air from Land Transport June 2008 ME 881
Good Practice Guide for Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling June 2004 ME 522
Good Practice Guide for Assessing and Managing Odour in New Zealand June 2003 ME 473
Ambient Air Quality Guidelines May 2002 ME 438
Good Practice Guide for Assessing and Managing the Environmental Effects of Dust Emissions September 2001 ME 408
Good Practice Guide for Monitoring and Management of Visibility in New Zealand August 2001 ME 406
Good Practice Guide for Preparing Emissions Inventories 2001 SMF 1
Compliance Monitoring and Emission Testing of Discharges to Air August 1998 ME 285

Back to top

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 AQTR 44
Health effects of CO, NO2, SO2, ozone, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene in New Zealand November 2003 AQTR 43
Monitoring of CO, NO2, SO2, ozone, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene in New Zealand October 2003 AQTR 42
Amenity Effects of PM10 and TSP Concentrations in New Zealand August 2003 AQTR 41
Health Effects of PM10 in New Zealand August 2003 AQTR 39
Emission Inventories for PM10 in New Zealand August 2003 AQTR 38

Domestic home heating emissions and air quality

Name Date Reference
Warm Homes Technical Report: Real-life Emissions Testing of Wood Burners in Tokoroa June 2007 ME 814

Back to top

Review of the 1994 Ambient Air Quality Guidelines

Name Date Reference
Recommended Amendments to the Ambient Air Quality Guidelines 1994 October 2000 AQTR 23
Meeting Notes and Analysis of Reviewers Comments October 2000 AQTR 22
Effects of Air Contaminants on Ecosystems and Recommended Critical Levels and Critical Loads October 2000 AQTR 15
Preliminary Review of Strategies for Managing Air Quality October 2000 AQTR 14
Health Effects of Eleven Hazardous Air Contaminants and Recommended Evaluation Criteria October 2000 AQTR 13
Health Effects of Five Common Air Contaminants and Recommended Protective Ranges October 2000 AQTR 12

Back to top

Environmental Reporting – air quality

Name Date Reference
Air quality (four pollutants): snapshot May 2010 INFO 487
Environmental report card: Air quality (Particulate Matter - PM10) February 2009 INFO 363
Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand - final report June 2007  
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 AQTR 18
Preliminary Assessment of Human Health Indicators of Air Quality June 1999 AQTR 55
Environmental Performance Indicators: Confirmed Indicators for Air, Fresh Water and Land October 1998 ME 293
Review of Environmental Performance Indicators for Toxic Contaminants in the Environment October 1998 AQTR 37
Air Quality Monitoring Sites in New Zealand and an Analysis of Site Classifications July 1998 AQTR 8
Draft core set of national air quality indicators: Report of focus workshop on development of environmental indicators for air July 1996 TR 1
NIWA: National ambient air quality monitoring network for New Zealand June 1995 TR 2

Back to top

Air pollution and New Zealand ecosystems

Name Date Reference
Summary of Findings and Priorities for Investigation February 1999 AQTR 4
Focus Group Meeting Notes June 1998 AQTR 3
Interim Conclusions and Recommended Investigations June 1998 AQTR 2
Review of National and International Research June 1998 AQTR 1

Back to top

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 AQTR 9
Hydrocarbon Emissions from Transport April 1998 AQTR 7
Transport Emissions Study – Modelling and Monitoring September 1997 AQTR 6
Ozone Levels in Auckland and Canterbury August 1997 AQTR 5

Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS)

Name Date Reference
Global environmental monitoring system (GEMS) annual reports Annually (up until 2011) Various

 

Back to top

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 AQTR 24
Proposals for Revised and New Ambient Air Quality Guidelines: A Summary of Submissions Received on the Discussion Document and Proposals for Amendments September 2001 ME 414
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 ME 379

Back to top

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

Back to top