Monitoring
As we see in both Invercargill and Gore, the breaches occur between mid-May and mid-August, the period when home heating is at a maximum. It is also a time of year when we tend to get periods of settled weather, with cool and windless nights; ideal conditions for the build-up of PM10 emissions from home fires.
Click here to see the latest Air Quality Monitoring results.
For previous years’ results, please see the Annual Monitoring report cards here.
You can download maps of the areas we monitor below.
What is Environment Southland Doing?
Environment Southland commenced an air quality monitoring programme in Invercargill in June 2003, with an identical programme starting in Gore in 2005. The monitoring is focused on PM10, because our analysis of the risks suggested that this would be the issue of most concern for Southland Air Quality.
Monitoring will be extended throughout Southland over the next few years. Towns already monitored include Edendale, Mataura, Bluff and Winton. One year’s monitoring showed that Air Quality guidelines for PM10 were not exceeded in Edendale, Mataura and Bluff, however Winton required a second year of monitoring because of concerns about a high annual level of PM10, even though the area did not exceed the NES.
In 2009, equipment was installed in Te Anau to monitor air quality in the township. In 2010, Riverton will also be monitored.
As air quality tends to be worse in winter, we report the results of our monitoring each week from May to August.
Standards and guidelines
Introduction to the National Air Quality Standards
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has developed a suite of national environmental standards - mandatory ‘bottom-line’ regulations that apply nationally.
These standards:
- Create a level playing field for industry
- Provide consistency and certainty in decision making
- Provide a minimum level of protection of health and the environment
The standards
MfE has been working closely with regional councils for some years on air quality guidance and monitoring, so all the background technical work has already been done.
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; and
- A requirement for landfills over 1 million tonnes of refuse to collect greenhouse gas emissions
National Environmental Standard for Air Quality
The full national environmental standards are available on the Ministry for the Environment website along with general information on Air Quality.
Regional Plans
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.