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Air quality

For today's air quality update see the RAQI   (regional air quality index)

DECC's air quality monitoring network informs the public about air quality by updating the regional air quality index (RPI) twice daily, providing 24-hour summaries and issuing quarterly air quality monitoring reports.

There are many substances in the air which may impair human health as well as the health of plants and animals, or reduce visibility. Urban air pollution arises from emissions from motor vehicles, major industry, commercial operations and domestic activities.

DECC encourages and supports industry and the broader community to adopt cleaner air practices through a range of education and clean air initiatives. DECC's role includes gathering information on urban air quality to keep people informed and as a basis for appropriate responses to air-related issues.

NSW State of the Environment 2006 provides a comprehensive report on air quality in NSW: see Chapter 3: Atmosphere.

DECC's survey Who Cares about the Environment in 2006 shows that air quality, along with water issues, continue to be the two most important environmental issues for people in NSW. We can all make a contribution to reducing air pollution.

• Action for Air is the Government's 25-year air quality management plan and contains plans to reduce emissions from transport, industrial, commercial and domestic sources to control two main air pollutants: photochemical smog and fine particle pollution.
• National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality (AAQ NEPM) sets the national health-based air quality standards for six air pollutants and, under the NSW State Plan, air quality targets for NSW are to meet NEPM standards by 2008
• AAQ NEPM - Monitoring Plan for NSW prepared in accordance with the AAQ NEPM, describing the monitoring which will be undertaken in NSW to determine compliance with the Standards and Goals of the AAQ NEPM
• Annual Compliance Reports against the AAQ NEPM summarising NSW's compliance with the air quality goals and standards
• New emissions standards to better protect human health and the environment were introduced in amendments to POEO (Clean Air) Regulation 2002.
• Approved Methods for the Modelling and Assessment of Air Pollutants in NSW lists the statutory methods that are to be used to model and assess emissions of air pollutants from stationary sources in NSW. Approved Methods for the Sampling and Analysis of Air Pollutants in NSW lists the statutory methods that are to be used to sample and analyse air pollutant emissions from stationary sources and from motor vehicles; components in, and properties of, petroleum products; and pollutants in ambient air.
• The NSW Air Emissions Inventory quantifies emissions from the five main sources of air pollution - domestic, commercial, industrial, off-road mobile and on-road mobile.
• Load-based licensing (LBL) applies the 'polluter pays' principle which introduces a market-based mechanism to control, reduce and prevent air and water pollution in NSW.

DECC toolkits help local councils play an important role in regulating and reducing local sources of air pollution:

Local government air quality toolkit provides local councils with information on the sources and impacts of air pollution, the regulatory framework for protecting air quality in NSW, and air quality management procedures and technologies.

Woodsmoke pollution toolkit to assist councils to develop and run local community education campaigns to reduce smoke emissions from wood heaters.

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