2 Introduction
This report presents the annual data set for 2004 for ambient air quality monitoring in Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand. The monitoring is conducted by Watercare Services Ltd, on behalf of the Ministry for the Environment (MfE).
The Ministry for the Environment has a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Zealand Ministry of Health to collect and supply air quality monitoring data to the World Health Organization (WHO) from three sites - two in Auckland and one in Christchurch.
This data has historically formed New Zealand's contribution to WHO's Global Environmental Monitoring System / Air Pollution Programme (GEMS/AIR) which began in 1973. [Schwela DH. 1999. Public health and the air management information system (AMIS). Epidemiology10(5): 647-55.]
In 1996 WHO developed the Air Management Information System (AMIS) the successor to GEMS/AIR. The objective of AMIS is to transfer information on air pollutant concentrations and air quality management between countries. Nationally it aims to support and assist in the maintenance of air quality in parts of New Zealand that enjoy clean air and to improve air quality where it has deteriorated.
As a result, data from the AMIS programme is used by the Ministry for the Environment to support and enhance ambient air quality monitoring and management in Auckland and Christchurch. In fact the GEMS/AMIS ambient air quality sites are the longest running sites in New Zealand and as such are very important in identifying local long term trends in air pollution.
The Auckland sites are located in the industrial area of Penrose to the southeast of the city centre and in Mt Eden and Kingsland, both of which are older residential areas just south of the city centre. Air quality monitoring has been performed in Penrose since 1964 and at Mt Eden since 1982. In October 2004 the Mt Eden site was decommissioned pending redevelopment of the site. However, a replacement site was commissioned in April 2004 providing seven months of parallel monitoring data.
Between 1989 and 2002 monitoring was undertaken in Christchurch at a site located in the older residential area of St Albans just north of the city centre. Due to impending redevelopment of this site the monitoring station was relocated in November 2002 to a site in Burnside/Bishopdale, is a newer residential area to the northwest of the city centre.
This report includes graphical and statistical presentations of the data as well as any data collection issues that may have arisen during the monitoring period.
The Auckland Regional Council has kindly provided permission to use data from their monitoring instruments (Gavin Street Penrose and Kelly Street Mt Eden) for inclusion in this report.
All data in this report has been completely validated. Quality assurance checks have been carried out to ensure that invalid and calibration data is not reported.
