Guides to support the NES-PF implementation
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has guidance to support the implementation of the NES-PF. It is targeted at the primary users of the NES-PF:
- regional councils
- territorial authorities
- the forestry industry.
Depending on your role, different parts of the guidance will be more relevant to you. You can either download specific parts of the NES-PF guidance or an entire guide.
Download an entire guide
Three guides are available:
- NES-PF user guide
- NES-PF plan alignment guide
- NES-PF consenting and compliance guide.
NES-PF user guide
The user guide is the primary guidance to help councils and foresters interpret the regulations. It includes an overview of the NES-PF, as well as detailed information on the plantation forestry activities regulated under the NES-PF.
NES-PF user guide [PDF, 1.7 MB]
Plan alignment guide
This guidance helps councils align their plans with the NES-PF. It includes information on:
- how to identify rules that conflict with or duplicate the NES-PF
- how to remove that conflict or duplication
- when plan rules may be more stringent than the NES-PF.
NES-PF guidance – plan alignment [PDF, 703 KB]
NES-PF consenting and compliance guide
This provides operational guidance for councils and foresters on specific aspects of the NES-PF, such as compliance monitoring and management plans.
NES-PF consenting and compliance guide [PDF, 674 KB]
Find specific guidance
The 3 NES-PF guidance documents cover all aspects of the NES-PF. If you're after guidance on a specific subject, you can find the parts most relevant to you, rather than download an entire guide.
Guidance resources on specific subjects are on 3 web pages:
Transitional guidance
This page has information for councils and foresters about how the regulations work and how they relate to existing plans and consents. It covers how to align plans or existing forestry activities with the NES-PF.
Guidance on transitioning to the NES-PF
Specific forestry activities
This page focuses on the 8 core plantation forestry activities, the ancillary activities, and the general provisions in the NES-PF. It includes an overview of each activity and how to interpret the relevant permitted activity conditions.
Guidance on specific forestry activities
Operational guidance
This page has administrative and management information for councils. Topics include processing resource consents, compliance monitoring, monitoring charges, written notices of forestry activities, and requesting and reviewing management plans.
Relationship between freshwater and plantation forestry regulations
This fact sheet has guidance on the relationship between the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 (NES-F), and the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry) Regulations 2017 (NES-PF).
Interaction between the NES-F and the NES-PF (Ministry for the Environment) [PDF, 203 KB]
Get the latest updates
Get updates on available guidance and other NES-PF developments by subscribing to plantation forestry updates.
