On this page
Applying to register as a forestry adviser
From 6 August 2022, forestry advisers can register in the new system. They have one year to become registered before it is an offence to practice without registration.
Registered forestry advisers have passed a background check, including a criminal record check.
Who needs to to register as a forestry adviser
How to register as a forestry adviser
Your obligations as a registered forestry adviser
Once you register as a forestry adviser, there are certain things you need to do. If you don’t, you may face compliance action and your registration may be suspended or revoked. If this happens and you continue to provide forestry adviser services, you are committing an offence.
As a registered forestry adviser, you must:
- pay the application fee to register, and the annual levy
- meet the forestry practice standards when conducting business, when these are available
- comply with the code of ethics for forestry advisers
- continue to meet the criteria for registration as a forestry adviser
- keep records about forestry advice you give
- comply with any other obligations on this page or in rules or regulations.
The forestry practice standards are being developed and will be published on this website.
Fees and levies
The fee to apply to register as a forestry adviser must be paid using a debit or credit card when you apply.
Your registration as a forestry adviser lasts for 5 years. If you apply to renew your registration, you will need to pay a renewal application fee.
You must pay an annual levy. You will be notified when this is due.
If you are applying to register as both a log trader and forestry adviser (dual registration), each fee and levy is reduced by 50% as below.
For Registered Members of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF), each fee and levy is reduced by 90% as below.
|
Fee type |
Fee (excl GST) |
Fee (incl GST) |
Fee for dual registration (incl GST) |
Fee for Registered Member of NZIF |
|
Initial application to register |
$444.00 |
$510.60 |
$255.30 |
$50.60 |
|
Annual levy (from 1 July 2023) |
$320.00 |
$368.00 |
$184.00 |
$36.80 |
|
Renewal application fee |
$444.00 |
$510.60 |
$255.30 |
$50.60 |
Code of ethics
The code of ethics helps provide assurance to clients, businesses, and investors that they can have confidence in the integrity and skills of forestry advisers. Registered forestry advisers must adhere to the code of ethics.
From 6 August 2023, registered forestry advisers who do not adhere to the code of ethics would be committing an offence. They may have conditions put on their registration, or if convicted, face a penalty of up to $40,000.
Code of ethics for registered forestry advisers – NZ Legislation
Principles for complying with the code of ethics
How you comply with the code of ethics depends on your work. Something that is appropriate at one time may not be appropriate later.
The principles below underpin the code of ethics. If you are unsure how to act in a particular situation, use these principles as a guide.
Acting for the benefit of others:
- provide benefits
- balance benefits with risks/harms
- have concern for the well-being and safety of clients.
Not inflicting harm on others:
- do not cause offence, pain, or suffering to clients.
Justice:
- ensure the equitable distribution of benefits, risks, costs and resources
- treat each client according to their needs with dignity by providing services in a fair and equitable manner.
Respecting autonomy:
- be truthful
- respect others’ privacy
- protect confidential information by respecting clients’ rights and opinions.
If you think someone isn’t complying with the code of ethics
Anyone can make a complaint if they think someone has breached the code of ethics. To make a complaint, email TeUruRakau@mpi.govt.nz
Meeting the conditions of the background check
Registered forestry advisers must provide information for a background check during registration. The background check is done to confirm that you meet the "fit and proper person requirements" in the regulations:
While you are registered as a forestry adviser, you must continue to meet the requirements of the background check. You must tell us if anything changes.
Criminal record check
You must provide a criminal record check from the Ministry of Justice that is less than 3 months old.
Request your criminal record online – Ministry of Justice
Civil liabilities
You must answer questions about your conduct. This includes a question about relevant civil liabilities, which are penalties imposed by a court or regulator for various forms of conduct. The relevant civil liabilities are:
- conduct in commercial activities, including fraud, bankruptcy, false advertising, fair trading, consumer guarantees, defamation, financial markets conduct, insurance, and/or real estate
- personal conduct, including trespass and/or insurance
- breach of a duty of care, including negligence, contract, and/or nuisance
- environmental and climate performance, including penalties in the Emissions Trading Scheme, and/or Resource Management Act (RMA) breaches.
You must provide us with all information relating to a civil liability finding against you in any of these areas when you apply to register as a forestry adviser. This includes any penalties imposed by a court or regulator.
Keeping records as a registered forestry adviser
As a registered forestry adviser, you must keep certain records. You won’t need to provide these to us unless we ask for them.
Records of forestry advice
You must keep records of all forestry advice you provide to clients. Your records of forestry advice should include:
- who provided the advice (including supporting advice)
- who the advice was given to
- when the advice was given
- any assumptions or conditions on the advice, and
- any recommendations you made as part of the advice.
The record of advice can be a summary. For example, you can summarise an informal or verbal conversation, rather than record a complete transcript.
Records about complaints and disputes
You must keep records when:
- someone makes a complaint to you
- you make a complaint against someone else, including a business
- you are involved in a dispute.
When any of these things happen, you must keep records of:
- the document (for example, email) that started the complaint or dispute
- any notes you made about the background to the complaint or dispute, and how it was handled
- any relevant correspondence (for example, with a mediator or us)
- the outcomes (this might include resolution by agreement, or referral of the matter to arbitration) and
- further actions, including what you will do to avoid similar issues from happening again.
Format of records
For both forestry advisers and log traders, records must be kept in a way that makes them available for 7 years. Records can be:
- in hard copy or digital form
- handwritten or drawn
- photographs
- audio recordings.
When to provide records
We may ask you for information to get a better understanding of trends and behaviours in the forestry supply chain. We can request this information under section 63G of the Amendment Act.
MPI or a complaints’ panel may ask you for your records to verify you are complying with your obligations.
Renewing your registration
Your registration as a forestry adviser expires 5 years after your application to register was approved. To continue providing forestry advice, you must apply to renew your registration as a forestry adviser at least 3 months before your registration expires.
When renewing, you must:
- pay a registration fee of $510.60 including GST
- provide details of your current registration
- confirm these details are the same as you gave us when registering or later
- provide a criminal record check from the Ministry of Justice that is less than 3 months old.
Request your criminal record online – Ministry of Justice
You must declare that you have met the obligations of a forestry adviser during the 5 years since you registered or last renewed your registration.
If you haven’t met these obligations, you must explain:
- how and why you haven’t met the obligations, and
- what has been done to solve any issues that prevented you from meeting them.
Keeping your information up to date
As a registered forestry adviser, you need to keep your information up to date. This means telling us about any changes to:
- information on a forestry register
- information provided when you applied for registration. For example, changes to decision makers, or new criminal or civil proceedings.
In 2023 you will be able to log in to the registration system to keep your information up to date. In the meantime, to update your information, email TeUruRakau@mpi.govt.nz
Subscribe to email updates
Get the latest news and updates on the registration system and what you need to do to register.
Subscribe to email updates about the registration of log traders and forestry advisers
Who to contact
For more information about the registration system for log traders and forestry advisers, email TeUruRakau@mpi.govt.nz
