Monitoring and reporting guidelines
As part of its coordinating role, the Ministry for the Environment develops tools and guidelines for other agencies to use in the collection and management of their environmental information. The purpose of this is to facilitate consistent collection of quality environmental information throughout New Zealand.
Air quality
The Ministry for the Environment has developed a number of guidance publications for councils and industries to improve quality and consistency in monitoring and managing air quality in New Zealand. For a list of publications see air quality best practice guides and guidelines.
Transport
The Monitoring and Data Management Protocol: Environmental Indicators for Transport provides user-friendly guidance on the collection and use of transport indicators to allow consistency over time and within different organisations. The protocol provides the user with a step-by-step process for collecting, analysing, managing and presenting indicator information, using four environmental indicators for transport.
Water quality and environments
Beach water quality
Councils monitor beach water quality at a number of sites throughout New Zealand, using the Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas produced by the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Health. The purpose of this monitoring is to protect the health of the public and to monitor the overall health of our recreational waters, locally and nationally.
“Bathewatch” has been developed as a companion to the Water Quality Guidelines. This beach grading software has been specifically designed to assist councils determine the grade of swimming beaches. This grade helps to determine whether ongoing monitoring is required and provides the basis for indicating whether water is suitable for recreational use from a public health perspective.
Kaimoana (seafood) survey guidelines
The Kaimoana Survey Guidelines for Hapū and Iwi provide hapū and iwi with information and a suggested process for undertaking a survey of kaimoana (seafood) resources. The guidelines were prepared by Otaraua Hapū in partnership with Shell Petroleum Mining Ltd and were published by the Ministry for the Environment.
Cultural Health Index
The Cultural Health Index is a tool, developed by Ngai Tahu under their Treaty Settlement, that Māori can use to assess and manage waterways in their area. A Cultural Health Index user guide has been prepared that explains the way the Cultural Health Index works, how it can be used, and how tangata whenua may use the information produced.
Last updated: February 2009
