Service fees for forestry in the ETS

Fee for applying to register post-1989 forest land as standard forestry

From 1 January 2023, post-1989 forest land entering the ETS can be registered as “standard forestry” or “permanent forestry”.

You will be charged a fee when applying to register with post-1989 forest land as standard forestry. The size of the fee depends on the area of land you are applying to register.

Applications to register land as permanent forestry will not incur a fee.

Find out about the different ETS rules for standard and permanent forestry, once the land is registered

Registering with post-1989 forest land in the ETS

Fee for applying to add more land into the ETS as standard forestry

You will be charged a fee when applying to add 1 or more carbon accounting areas into the ETS as standard forestry. The size of the fee depends on the area you are applying to add.

Applications to add land as permanent forestry will not incur a fee.

Find out more about applying to add more post-1989 forest land into the ETS

Fees for emissions returns

The fee for submitting certain emissions returns is $165.00 excluding GST ($189.75 including GST).

This fee applies to emissions returns submitted for standard forestry only:

• at the end of each mandatory emissions return period
• when removing part of a carbon accounting area from the ETS
• during mandatory emissions return periods (provisional emissions returns).

Emissions returns for permanent forestry will not incur a fee.

Find out more about emissions returns and when to submit them

Fees when transferring ETS participation to another party

When the responsibility for participating in the ETS transfers to another party, you must tell us and submit an emissions return.

This can happen, for example, when selling or inheriting land, or when a registered forestry right or lease changes or expires. There is a fee payable for notifying us and for processing the emissions return.

These fees are usually charged to the person, people, or organisation transferring the responsibility for ETS participation to someone else (the "transferor"). There's an exception for inherited land – in this case, the party inheriting the land pays the fee for the emissions return.

Find out what you need to do when forest ownership or land agreements change

Fees for other ETS services

Note: Exceptions apply to all services. We may waive or refund fees in some circumstances.

Apply for an emissions ruling

Removing post-1989 forest land from the ETS

Find out more about your obligations if forest land in the ETS is permanently damaged

Making measurements in forest land (the field measurement approach, FMA)

When you won't be charged for ETS services

You won't be charged for transactions, including:

• applying to register areas of post-1989 forest land as permanent forestry
• applying to add more land into the ETS as permanent forestry
• applying to move post-1989 forest land already in the ETS into permanent forestry
• notifying us about temporary damage to your post-1989 forest land
• notifying us about pre-1990 forest land deforestation
• applying for an exemption to deforest pre-1990 forest land without ETS liabilities, including tree weeds established before 1990
• applying to offset pre-1990 or post-1989 forest land deforestation by planting another forest.

Fee waivers and refunds

In some circumstances, we may waive or refund fees for a service. These circumstances may include:

• if you made an obvious mistake, for example, if you submitted multiple applications instead of one. We fully refund the fee paid in error.
• if we incorrectly charged a fee or overcharged you. We refund the amount that was incorrectly charged or overcharged.
• if you withdraw an application before we complete our initial assessment. We take the time we already spent processing the application into account when we calculate the refund.
• when an application is not formally accepted, and you made a payment in anticipation of it being accepted. Your submitted information is only considered as an application once it is correct and complete. If you decide to withdraw the application, or we find that we cannot accept the application, you can apply for a refund. We take the time we already spent processing the application into account when we calculate the refund.

To discuss a situation not covered here, email ForestryETS@mpi.govt.nz

We carefully consider the circumstances of each application to waive or refund fees. These applications are processed consistently and fairly. In general, we provide a refund when the value of the refund exceeds the costs of processing that refund. Refunds based on an hourly rate are calculated to the nearest 15-minute interval.

How to request a fee waiver or refund

Fee waivers and refunds must be requested by the person who paid the fee. We cannot consider requests from anyone else.

Requests for fee waivers or refunds must be in writing. Email your request to ForestryETS@mpi.govt.nz

Or you can post your request to:

Emissions Trading Scheme
Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 1127
Wellington 6140.

Once we have considered your application, we'll let you know our decision in writing. We will include the reason for our decision.

ETS compliance charges

If you don’t meet your ETS responsibilities, you may receive a penalty or an infringement notice.

Find out when penalties apply

Find out when infringement notices apply