Have your say
In 2020, Parliament passed the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Act establishing a Forestry Authority and a registration system for log traders and forestry advisers.
Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service consulted on options for the regulations required to give effect to registration between 26 November 2021 and 17 January 2022. The consultation document stated proposals for fees, charges, and levies would be consulted on after the basic design requirements for the new system had been finalised.
The Government has since made decisions on the initial requirements for the new system. Now we want your feedback on options for cost recovery settings.
This consultation is open from 15 March to 1 April 2022.
Find out more about the registration system for log traders and forestry advisers
Consultation documents
Cost recovery for the registration of log traders and forestry advisers [PDF, 1.1 MB]
What's being proposed?
The key elements of the regulatory settings for the initial registration system are:
- Matters for the Forestry Authority to take into account when determining if a person is fit and proper to be registered.
- The information required to be submitted with an application for registration or renewal of registration.
- Record keeping obligations.
- Reporting obligations (for log traders).
- Complaints and disputes resolution processes.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has identified 2 proposed options to fund the new registration system. These options apply to registration for both log traders and forestry advisers.
Option 1 (preferred)
Under this option, costs for services would be recovered in line with the Amendment Act and MPI's cost recovery principles through:
- a $444 registration fee for the first 5-year period, payable at the time of registration
- a fee for each criminal conviction check required to be undertaken by the Forestry Authority at the time of registration
- annual levies of $320 for the ongoing system administration and monitoring and compliance costs starting from the 2023-24 year.
To support efficient and fair administration of cost recovery, MPI also proposes regulations to provide for the Forestry Authority to grant an exemption from, or waive or refund, any fee or levy “in whole or in part, in any particular case or class of case”.
Option 2
Under this option, the Crown funds all services for the registration system.
Making your submission
You can make your submission using the submission form.
Download and complete the submission template [DOCX, 82 KB]
Note, your response does not need to be limited to answering the questions provided on the submission form – you may also leave additional feedback in the space provided.
What to include
Make sure you include in your submission:
- the title of the consultation: 'Cost recovery for the registration of log traders and forestry advisers’
- your name and title
- your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation) and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it
- your contact details (such as your phone number, address, and email).
Submissions must be made by email by 5pm on 1 April 2022 to costrecovery@mpi.govt.nz
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens if we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
