There are many things you can do without a consent under the National Environmental Standards (NES). Our compliance and consents team is here to help.
Different kinds of activities have different requirements in terms of the information you need to submit and the timeframe for when you can start your proposal. This page sets out the information you need to give us if you want to carry out activities permitted under National Environmental Standards (NES).
For the freshwater and commercial forestry NES, you will need to submit information to us before starting your proposed activity.
New Zealand has more than 50 species of native freshwater and sports fish. It’s important that instream structures such as culverts and weirs allow for fish passage, so that fish can move upstream and downstream between different river and stream habitats and complete their lifecycle.
Culverts, weirs, flap gates, fords and dams installed after 3 September 2020 must meet the minimum reporting requirements for height, width and location set out in the Essential Freshwater regulations and the NES for Freshwater. Culverts, weirs and flap gates must meet minimum environmental conditions for fish passage and may need a resource consent.
While the regulations do not apply to instream structures installed before 3 September 2020, it is still important to make sure those structures provide for fish passage.
There are ways you can remediate or retrofit structures to help fish passage.
Under national and regional rules, you can install, alter, maintain and remove some structures without resource consent if you meet specific requirements.
You must collect and provide the specified information to us, and the time and date of its collection, within 20 working days of finishing the activity.
The NES for Freshwater also sets requirements for carrying out certain activities in a natural wetland or within 10m of one, and for harvesting sphagnum moss. Anyone carrying out these activities will need to comply with the standards.
Under the NES-CF, permitted forestry activities still require notification to the regional council. The timeframes for notification have been amended, and the previous timeframes may not apply in all situations.
You can find the specific requirements for notification and management plans in the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry) Amendment Regulations 2023 on the New Zealand Legislation website.
If your activity is permitted under the NES regulation you can fill in the related online notification form below.
If your activity is not permitted under the NES regulations, please don’t use this form. You will need to apply for resource consent.
You will also need consent if you cannot meet the requirements for a permitted activity under the NES-CF Regulations and the specific rules in the Regional Plan: Water (Schedule 17).
The purpose of this notice is to inform us of the activity so we can monitor compliance where appropriate.
Written Notice (Commercial Forestry Activities)
Use this form to notify us about permitted forestry activities like planting trees, earthworks, crossing rivers, quarrying, or harvesting, as per the NES-CF regulations.
Culvert
Complete this form if you are placing, altering, extending or reconstructing a culvert in, on, over or under the bed of a river or connected area.
Dam
Complete this form if you are undertaking placement, alteration, extension or reconstruction of a dam in, on, over or under the bed of any river or connected area.
Flap gates
Complete this form if you are undertaking placement, alteration, extension or reconstruction of a flap gate in, on, over or under the bed of any river or connected area.
Ford
Complete this form if you are undertaking placement, alteration, extension or reconstruction of a ford in, on, over or under the bed of any river or connected area.
Natural Wetland Activities
Complete this form if you are undertaking wetland restoration. You must notify us 10 working days before starting work.
Sphagnum Moss Harvests – Postharvest Assessment
Complete this form if you have already undertaken sphagnum moss harvesting.
Sphagnum Moss Harvests – Preharvest Plan
Complete this form if you plan to harvest sphagnum moss. You must submit your plan at least 20 working days before harvest.
Structures and Fish Passage
Complete this form if you are undertaking placement, alteration, extension or reconstruction of a structure in, on over or under the bed of any river or connected area.
Weir
Complete this form if you are undertaking placement, alteration, extension or reconstruction of a weir in, on, over or under the bed of any river or connected area.
