Air quality in Auckland

​Current state of air quality in Auckland

The quality of our air is relatively pure. However, activities that release emissions can rapidly degrade its quality.

In summer, the main cause of air pollution in Auckland is transport.

In winter, the main cause is emissions from domestic fires. Wood smoke emits fine particles, an average of 11 tonnes a day, into the air. These particles are so tiny that they can be easily inhaled. They can lead to respiratory diseases and heart ailments.

For more information, see the Our research and evaluation resources.

What we do to manage our air quality

We monitor air pollution levels to ensure particle emissions are within the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality, as well as, our own regional air quality targets.

For national and air quality targets, see the Auckland Unitary Plan: Chapter E14 Air quality (PDF 305KB).

We currently monitor air pollutants at fixed monitoring sites and mobile sites. For more information, see Environment Auckland Data Portal.

We also manage a range of activities through consent conditions. For more information, see Discharge of contaminants into the air.