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Review of forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme cost recovery settings

Have your say

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wants your feedback on proposals to update cost recovery settings for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The proposals include: 

  • a reduced annual charge
  • a reduced hourly rate to underpin service fees
  • changes to the average hours used to calculate service fees
  • 8 proposed new service fees.

A summary of the proposals is on this page and full details are in the consultation document.

If progressed, we anticipate that changes would be made in mid-2026.

Consultation opened on 22 January and we will accept submissions until 5pm on 13 February 2026. 

Consultation document

Review of forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme cost recovery settings [PDF, 1.9 MB]

Summary of the proposals

Reducing the annual charge

  • Option 1 – from $14.90 per hectare to $10.25 per hectare.
  • Option 2 – from $14.90 per hectare to $10.28 per hectare, and applying a reduced and time-limited annual charge for forests that no longer report changes in carbon stock. 

Reducing most existing service fees

  • Reducing the hourly rate that underpins service fees from $165 to $133.83.
  • Adjusting the hours that underpin some service fees to better reflect the time it takes to carry out the service.

Eight proposed new service fees

New fees for services that have a direct benefit to a participant, including:

  • assessing an emissions return when a participant fails to submit a return
  • amending incorrect emissions returns
  • removing 1 or more whole carbon accounting areas for permanent forests
  • removing 1 or more part carbon accounting areas for permanent forests
  • processing notices that post-1989 offset deforestation is complete
  • removing land status notices
  • assessing LUC class 6 ballot applications
  • carrying out a review of decision.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the proposals, email etsforestrychanges@mpi.govt.nz

Making your submission

Send us your feedback by 5pm on 13 February 2026. 

We would prefer if you made your submission electronically, by email. However, we will also accept written submissions sent by post. 

You can give feedback on all of the proposals in the consultation document, or you can choose only the areas relevant to you. Provide reasons for your answers with your submission where possible. 

We've prepared a template to help you make your submission.  

ETS cost recovery submission template [DOCX, 170 KB]

Email 

Email your submission to etsforestrychanges@mpi.govt.nz

Post 

If you prefer to make your submission by post, send it to:

NZ ETS Cost Recovery
Forestry System Directorate
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

What to include

Make sure you tell us in your submission: 

  • the title of the consultation document [Review of forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme cost recovery settings]
  • 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 phone number, address, and email). 

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when 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.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

MPI business units