The standards provide nationally consistent regulations to manage the environmental effects of forestry.
Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry) Amendment Regulations 2023
Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Primary Industries
The Government is consulting on proposals to prepare or amend national direction, including amending the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry.
Consultation closes on 27 July 2025.
View the Infrastructure, development and primary sector national direction consultation
3 November 2023
The regulations apply to both plantation forestry and exotic continuous-cover forests (carbon forests) that are deliberately established for commercial purposes.
They provide nationally consistent regulations to manage the environmental effects of the eight core forestry activities.
These are:
See National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (MPI)
The National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (NES-CF) came into force on 3 November 2023 and new activities should comply with the NES-CF from that date.
If a notice expires prior to 3 April 2024 (for instance for ongoing operations that submit an annual notice) foresters will be able to renew their existing management plan once under the current rules.
The Ministry for the Environment and councils will work together to implement the changes, while Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is developing risk assessment and management tools for landowners and councils.
The Government consulted on options and proposals to amend the national environmental standards for plantation forestry to better manage the environmental effects of plantation forestry. The consultation was held from 6 October to 18 November 2022.
The need for change was also highlighted following recommendations from the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use in the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa districts released in May 2023.
This previous consultation has informed development of the proposal to amend the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry included in the current consultation on updating RMA national direction.