First set by the Ministry for the Environment in 1994 and updated in 2002, these have formed the basis for air quality monitoring in New Zealand for many years. The guidelines promote the sustainable management of the air resource in New Zealand. As such, the guideline values are minimum requirements that all outdoor air quality should meet to protect people and ecosystems from significant adverse effects. As with the national environmental standards for air quality (NES-AQ), they are not 'safe' limits to pollute up to.
See more information on the National Ambient Air Quality Guidelines (2002).