National Environmental Standards for Freshwater

The standards regulate activities that pose risks to the health of freshwater and freshwater ecosystems.

Official title

Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Amendment Regulations 2025

Lead agency

Ministry for the Environment

Last updated:

Full text

Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Amendment Regulations 2025 (New Zealand Legislation)

In force from

The Amendment Regulations 2025 come into force on 15 January 2026.

The standards came into force on 3 September 2020, however:

  • subpart 3 of Part 2 (intensive winter grazing) came into force on 1 May 2022
  • regulations 12 to 14 (stockholding areas other than feedlots) and subpart 4 of Part 2 (application of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to pastoral land) came into force on 1 July 2021.
  • the amendment regulations came into effect on 5 January 2023.

Gazette notice

Notice of gazettal [NZ Gazette website]

Recent amendments

The Government consulted on proposals to prepare or amend national direction, including amending the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater in relation to quarrying and mining activities. 

Consultation closed on 27 July 2025. The Recommendations and Decisions Report summarising submissions received, officials' recommendations, and the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform's decisions on the proposal is now available.  

View the Recommendations and Decisions Report.

View the Infrastructure, development and primary sector national direction consultation

The Governor- General, on recommendation from the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform approved amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater on 15 December 2025. These amendments come into force on 15 January 2026. 

Summary of amendments

See updating multiple instruments for quarrying and mining

Regulatory impact statement

Regulatory impact statement - quarrying and mining

What the Freshwater NES does

The Freshwater NES set requirements for carrying out certain activities that pose risks to freshwater and freshwater ecosystems. Anyone carrying out these activities will need to comply with the standards.

The standards are designed to:

  • protect natural inland wetlands
  • protect urban and rural streams from in-filling
  • ensure connectivity of fish habitat (fish passage)
  • set minimum requirements for feedlots and other stockholding areas
  • improve poor practice intensive winter grazing of forage crops
  • restrict further agricultural intensification until the end of 2024
  • limit the discharge of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to land, and require reporting of fertiliser use.

In many cases, people will need to apply for a resource consent from their regional council to continue carrying out regulated activities.