Frequently asked questions on installing wood burners

One way you can help improve air quality in your area is to use cleaner forms of home heating, such as heat pumps and pellet burners. Some councils offer grants or low-interest loans for the purchase of cleaner domestic heating forms.

If you are using a wood burner, ensure you are burning appropriate fuels. Dry firewood, sourced from a reputable wood merchant, is the most appropriate fuel for use in wood burners. Dry wood has a lower moisture content than wet wood and when burned it produces less smoke and less particulate matter pollution. The size and quality of your wood also has an effect on the efficiency of your wood burner.

Many councils have specific rules against burning fuels such as plastics, construction waste and treated wood. These regional rules can be found in council regional plans.

Using kindling, opening the vents when adding wood, and burning the fire brightly can also increase efficiency and reduce the amount of emissions produced. 

No. Treated timber should not be burnt in wood burners, multi-fuel burners or open fires. Burning treated timber causes elevated levels of airborne arsenic. Councils may also have specific rules that prohibit the burning of treated timber.

Treated timber is timber that has been treated with a preservative called Chromate Copper Arsenate or with other chemicals. Timber is generally treated to resist decay and insect attack. Timber from building sites, fences or decks is likely to be treated.

Your local regional council may have rules in its regional plan that prohibit or limit smoke from chimneys. You can call your regional council and bring this to their attention. Smoke from home heating appliances such as wood burners causes increases in ambient air pollution which can cause adverse health effects in your community. If the appropriate fuel is burned (such as only firewood in wood burners) and if it is used correctly this can help minimise pollution.

No. The standards were introduced to ensure a baseline level of national consistency. Allowing exceptions to the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality would go against the intent of the standards and would compromise their integrity.

Building consent officers who process building consents refer to the authorised wood burner list before issuing a consent. Compliance is demonstrated by going through the authorisation process. Advertising a wood burner as authorised does not necessarily translate to compliance with the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality.

You may call the Ministry for the Environment to confirm if this model is in the process of being added to the list, otherwise, it may not be installed in properties less than two hectares. We strongly urge people, for their own protection, to only purchase burners on the authorised list.

We recommend you discuss your plan to install a second-hand wood burner with your local city or district council or the unitary authority in your area before purchasing the wood burner. There are factors in addition to the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality that these agencies need to consider before permitting the installation of a second-hand wood burner.

Authorised wood burners have been designed and tested to ensure that they meet emissions and efficiency limits set out in the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality. Modifications may result in more emissions being discharged or a decrease in efficiency, which will invalidate the authorisation.

Modifying your wood burner without the advice of the manufacturer may also create a fire hazard or other safety risks.

An existing burner that is moved within a house is considered to be a newly installed burner, so it must meet the wood burner standards in the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality. You may also need a building consent.

You will need to have the wood burner tested in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand Standards AS/NZS 4013:2014 and AS/NZS 4012:2014 or a functionally equivalent method. The wood burner then needs to be authorised by either Environment Canterbury or the Nelson City Council.

Details regarding the authorisation procedure can be found on the webpage Authorised solid fuel burners [Environment Canterbury's website] or by contacting the Nelson City Council, see the Nelson City Council website for contact details.

Yes, but wood burners with wetbacks still need to meet the wood burner standards in the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality. There are a number of wetback wood  burner options on the Ministry’s list of authorised wood burners.

A multi-fuel burner is a domestic heating appliance designed to burn more than one type of solid fuel. The National Environmental Standards for Air Quality currently do not apply to multi-fuel or coal burners. However, some councils regulate multi-fuel and/or coal burners through their plan rules.

You will need to find out from your regional council or unitary authority whether it is legal to install these types of burners in your area. 

* The Ministry encourages cleaner forms of heating. Coal burners produce more emissions than other types of domestic heating.

Open fires produce greater emissions than other types of domestic heating. The National Environmental Standards for Air Quality has a ban on new open fires in polluted airsheds. You will need to contact your regional council or unitary authority to see whether it is legal to install an open fire in your region.

Some councils regulate wood-burning cooking stoves through their plan rules. You will need to find out from your regional council or unitary authority whether it is legal to install these types of burners in your area. See council maps and websites for contact details.

A good indication of whether an appliance is a cooking stove is if it has an oven. A hot plate on top of a freestanding wood burner is not a cooking stove.

You can still install wood burners that do not meet the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality provided the property the wood burner is installed on is 2 hectares or greater in size.

The Australian/New Zealand Standards specify the methods that must be used to test the emissions and efficiency of a wood burner. However, they do not specify the level of emissions or efficiency that a wood burner must achieve. This information is contained within the wood burner standards in the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality, which only apply to New Zealand.

You can get this from your local city council, district council or unitary authority for installations that meet the requirements of the Building Act regulations.

We suggest you direct any further question to your local council if it is concerning implementation of the national-level standards or guidelines. Your regional council sets specific rules in their regional plans that relate to air quality in your area. Your local territorial authority (city, district or unitary council) will be aware of these rules and are responsible for issuing building consents for domestic heating appliances.  

You can email info@mfe.govt.nz if you have any further questions.