Update – 8 April 2026
Summary of submissions released
We received 18 submissions on this consultation. We've prepared a summary of what submitters said.
For individuals
Mā te takitahi
Review of forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme cost recovery settings
Consultation background
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sought your feedback on proposals to update cost recovery settings for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The proposals included:
- 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 were in the consultation document.
Consultation opened on 22 January and closed at 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 a decision.
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.
