Bay of Plenty region

Air Quality

Air quality in the Bay of Plenty is generally good, but Rotorua and the Mount Maunganui industrial area have problems with fine dust other contaminants. In Rotorua this occurs primarily over winter due to smoke from solid-fuel burners used for home heating. Air quality is an issue in the Mount Maunganui industrial area all year round but primarily over summer when the wind picks up.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council monitors and manages the region's air quality, thereby safeguarding the health of people in the community.

We verify our data before it is shared publicly to ensure its accuracy so no live data is displayed here. We need this level of accuracy to support the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality monitoring and any potential enforcement action.

Some discharges in the Bay of Plenty can adversely affect people, such as PM10 (particulate matter that can settle in the bronchi and lungs and cause health problems, especially in the very young or old and those who suffer from respiratory illnesses such as asthma).

Bay of Plenty Regional Council monitors PM10 in Rotorua, Tauranga and Whakatane. All currently monitored towns are shown on the map to the left.

Rotorua has a high concentration of fine particulates each winter. The regional council works with Rotorua Lakes Council and the community to reduce this concentration so it will meet the national environmental standard.

The Port of Tauranga and the Mount Maunganui industrial area also have an issue with PM10, primarily caused by industrial discharges. The Mount Maunganui airshed was introduced to enable tighter rules and resource consent decisions and a greater ability to manage industrial discharges.

Regional Summary

PM₁₀and PM_2.5at towns in this region

The most significant air pollutant in New Zealand are small airborne particles in our air (known as particulate matter). Particulate pollutants are of most concern in New Zealand because of their high concentrations in some of our towns. Exposure to high levels of airborne particle pollutants has the potential to cause respiratory and cardiovascular issues. View a factsheet on why air quality is important here.

PM10 is the main concern in Rotorua and a contributing factor to air quality issues in the Mount Maunganui industrial area. It can have short and long-term health effects. Council reports on annual and daily PM10 concentrations every year. Other contaminants include urban open burning, dust, agrichemical spraying and methyl bromide use at the Port of Tauranga.

PM monitoring history at towns in this region

Annual average
Highest daily average
Exeedance

Showing:

PM₁₀

Guideline

Concentration

% of guideline

What is this showing me?

The graph shows the annual average and highest daily average PM₁₀ concentrations, and number of exceedance days for the year selected. These are shown against air quality guidelines of 20 µg/m³ for annual averages and 50 µg/m³ for daily averages. The World Health Organisation published new guidelines in September 2021 of 15 µg/m³ for annual averages and 45 µg/m³ for daily averages. Values above the guidelines can be a cause for concern as exposure to high PM₁₀ values can cause short and long term health effects. The trends in the table below indicate whether the PM₁₀ concentrations have been improving, showing no measurable change, or declining over the previous 10-years. (For towns that have more than one monitoring site, a representative site is shown).

Data table PM₁₀

Towns	10-year Trend	annual average (µg/m³)	Highest daily average (µg/m³)	2nd highest daily average (µg/m³)	Number of exceedances

PM_2.5

Guideline

Concentration

% of guideline

What is this showing me?

The graph shows the annual average and highest daily average PM_2.5 concentrations, and number of exceedance days for the year selected. These are shown against air quality guidelines of 10 µg/m³ for annual averages and 25 µg/m³ for daily averages. The World Health Organisation published new guidelines in September 2021 of 5 µg/m³ for annual averages and 15 µg/m³ for daily averages. Values above the guidelines can be a cause for concern as exposure to high PM_2.5 values can cause short and long term health effects. The trends in the table below indicate whether the PM_2.5 concentrations have been improving, showing no measurable change, or declining over the previous 10-years. (For towns that have more than one monitoring site, a representative site is shown).

Data table PM_2.5