Environment Bay of Plenty consults with interested parties to produce various plans, which are required under the Resource Management Act 1991. These plans relate to different areas of the Bay of Plenty environment and are statutory resource management documents.

For information on the status of the plan, please view the Plans Status page.

The Operative Bay of Plenty Regional Air Plan is one of three core plans being developed by Environment Bay of Plenty under the Resource Management Act 1991 i.e. Water & Land, Coastal, and Air. The purpose of the plan is to enable Environment Bay of Plenty to achieve sustainable management of air quality in the Bay of Plenty Region.

Contaminants in air can affect the health of humans and ecosystems, damage property and people’s enjoyment of life and impinge on the sustainability of air as a natural resource. The air plan focuses on:

• identify the issues relating to air quality management in the region;
• maintain and where practicable enhance the air quality in the region;
• provide means to avoid, remedy or mitigate (reduce) adverse effects on air quality;
• provide certainty for the community regarding air quality standards and management techniques;
• allow activities with minor effects to operate with fewer regulative controls; 
• provide a basis for consistent action by staff of Environment Bay of Plenty and other regulatory agencies; and
• monitor existing air quality to determine whether new activities will affect the local air resource.

The plan specifically addresses discharges into the air that include agrichemicals, odour, geothermal gases and steam, industrial discharges, spray irrigation of liquid waste as well as global issues: greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances. Rules permit activities that are likely to cause minor adverse effects on the environment. The basis of permitting such activities subject to conditions is that their adverse effects can be predicted and limited by compliance with the provisions of the rule.

For activities with significant or unpredictable effects, rules are used to require a resource consent to be obtained from Environment Bay of Plenty for the activity proposed. Activities become discretionary if they cannot meet the criteria for a permitted activity which means a resource consent is required from Environment Bay of Plenty. Environment Bay of Plenty has the ability to decline a resource consent in particular circumstances or in areas where a higher level of protection is required.

Rules prohibit activities with unacceptable adverse effects on air quality.

The plan also provides the basis for the development of an air quality monitoring programme.