3.5 Where to from here?

Future monitoring

The Council will continue to monitor particulate matter (PM₁₀) at Robert and Water Streets in Whangarei as discussed above.

The NRC has recently purchased a continuous carbon monoxide analyser, which will be installed in Bank Street, Whangarei. Monitoring of carbon monoxide is scheduled to begin later in 2007.

An additional sulphur dioxide monitoring site is planned for the One Tree Point area. It is expected to be installed late 2007. A further sulphur dioxide monitoring site in Whangarei City is expected to be commissioned early 2008.

Environmental incidents

The number of air incidents has increased in recent years, particularly the number of burning and smoke nuisance incidents as a result of people burning rubbish in their backyards. The number of air-related incidents has now increased to the point where staff are unable to respond to all air incidents in a timely manner.

The plan change 2 (Backyard Burning) to the Regional Air Quality Plan (RAQP) discussed above should assist with reducing the number of incidents that staff need to attend in the long term.