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Last reviewed:

Update - 29 May 2025

Have your say on proposed changes to the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (NES-CF)

The Government is consulting on changes to national direction instruments as part of its wider reform of the resource management system. This includes proposed changes to the NES-CF.

MPI has published supplementary information to the NES-CF discussion document in the Ministry for the Environment’s Primary Sector consultation package. This does not form part of the statutory package provided by MfE, but provides background information on proposals to:

  • clarify councils’ abilities to make rules more stringent than the NES-CF
  • clarify rules around low-risk forestry slash.

The consultation closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 27 July.

Supplementary information on amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (NES-CF) [PDF, 538 KB]

Package 2: Primary sector discussion document - MfE

Proposed provisions – Amendments to the Resource Management (NES-CF) Regulations 2017 – MfE

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About National Environmental Standards

National Environmental Standards (NES) are regulations made under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) that:

  • set out technical standards, methods or requirements relating to matters under the RMA
  • provide consistent rules across the country by setting council planning requirements for certain specified activities.

An NES prevails over district or regional plan rules except where the NES-CF specifically allows more stringent plan rules. 

About the NES-CF

The National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF) came into effect on 1 May 2018. The NES-PF changed on 3 November 2023.  This also included changing the name to the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry) Regulations 2017 (NES-CF).

NES-CF regulations – NZ Legislation

The NES-CF objectives are to:

  • maintain or improve the environmental outcomes associated with commercial forestry activities
  • increase the efficiency and certainty of managing commercial forestry activities.

The objectives are achieved through a single set of regulations under the RMA that apply to commercial foresters throughout New Zealand.

How the NES-CF works

The NES-CF covers 8 core commercial forestry activities that have potential environmental effects:

  • afforestation (planting new forest)
  • pruning and thinning to waste (selective felling of trees where the felled trees remain on site)
  • earthworks
  • river crossings
  • forestry quarrying (extraction of rock, sand, or gravel within a plantation forest or for operation of a forest on adjacent land)
  • harvesting
  • mechanical land preparation
  • replanting.

The NES-CF applies to any forest of at least one hectare that is a plantation forest or an exotic continuous-cover forest as defined by the NES-CF.

Check if a forest is covered by the NES-CF standards.

Is your forest covered by the NES-CF? [PDF, 529 KB]

How the NES-CF manages potential environmental effects

The regulations are based on good forestry practices.

In many places, forestry activity can be done without needing resource consent if the forester can meet conditions that permit the activity. Most activities on red zone land need resource consent from the council. Activities where the forester does not think they can meet the permitted activity conditions also need resource consent.

NES-CF guidance

Guides are available to help you understand how to apply the NES-CF.

NES-CF guidance

An addendum to the NES-PF user guide is available. This provides guidance on the changes to the NES-CF to help councils and foresters implement these new regulations.

The NES-PF user guide addendum does not replace the existing NES-PF user guide. It should be read in conjunction with the NES-PF user guide.

NES-PF user guide and addendum

The Ministry for the Environment has produced guidelines to help councils with their compliance, monitoring, and enforcement (CME) responsibilities under the RMA.

Guidelines for compliance, monitoring and enforcement under the RMA 

Tools to help councils and foresters

The NES-CF uses three science-based tools, incorporated by reference into Schedule 2, to help council staff and foresters plan and manage forestry operations.

Flexibility for local environments

The NES-CF recognises the need for flexibility in rules to protect sensitive or unique local environments. Regional and district councils plans can be more stringent if the risk cannot be managed by the NES-CF.

Development, reviews, and changes to the NES-CF

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Find out more

Get the latest on the NES-CF

Get email alerts to your inbox about the NES-CF. On our subscription page, choose 'Plantation forestry (National Environmental Standards)' from the subjects listed under the heading 'email update topics.'

Subscribe to email alerts

Who to contact

If you have questions about the NES-CF, contact Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service:

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