Regional Air Quality Plan

The Regional Air Quality Plan provides a framework for managing adverse effects of discharges of contaminants to air, such as odour, dust, smoke, and other particulate matter.

The Plan has Objectives, Policies, Rules and other Methods to manage effects on air quality and the environment. It permits discharges to air that are unlikely to have significant adverse effects on the environment, and requires a resource consent for discharges that may have more than minor adverse effects.

The Regional Air Quality Plan became operative on 11th December 2001.
Regional Air Quality Plan

Plan Review
Council staff commenced preliminary work on a full review of the Air Plan in 2010. This has been on hold pending changes to the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality (NESAQ). Changes to the NESAQ are anticipated to be made public for submissions in 2019.