Foreword
Clean air is an important part of a healthy, sustainable environment. Clean air is not just about protecting people's health from pollutants such as fine particles and carbon monoxide. It is also about protecting people from offensive smells that can affect their daily activities and wellbeing. Offensive odour is a significant cause of public complaints to councils and is typically a difficult environmental issue to assess and manage. With more people living close to industries and in agricultural areas the possibility of conflict between odorous activities and people is increasing.
There has been significant progress in dealing with odour problems in New Zealand since the introduction of the Resource Management Act 1991. I commend those industries and councils that have worked hard with local communities to resolve problems. However, better methods of odour assessment and management are needed to ensure adequate protection for all New Zealanders and to create a level playing field for activities that may need to reduce their odour emissions or install abatement equipment.
To progress this, the Ministry for the Environment has prepared this Good Practice Guide to Assessing and Managing Odour in New Zealand. It has been developed with the help of many practitioners, including staff from councils, industries and environmental consultancies. The guide is designed to assist those involved in odour management and the communities affected by offensive odours. It provides well-debated, expert guidance on how to determine when an odour is causing an objectionable or offensive effect, and how to reduce the potential for odour emissions to cause problems.
My thanks to those of you who contributed to the development of this guide. I hope you will find it useful.
Hon Marian Hobbs
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
