Have your say
The Forest (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Act 2023 will introduce legal harvest assurance into law through the Forest Act 1949.
The purpose of legal harvest assurance is to:
- strengthen the international reputation of the forestry sector
- safeguard and enhance market access for the forestry sector
- reduce the risk of importing timber that is not legally harvested
- help reduce international trade in timber that is not legally harvested.
Legal harvest assurance focuses on the conduct of people trading in regulated timber and specified timber products. This ensures there is a person accountable for due diligence to minimise the risk of illegally harvested timber entering the supply chain. It does not provide assurance that any specific timber item, or consignment, has been legally harvested.
The discussion document sets out proposals for the operational detail to be made as regulations and notices. These proposals are built on the feedback we received on issues papers in 2024. The issues papers tested assumptions and sought views on the options we should consider for these operational details.
We are now seeking your views on proposals for the operational detail. Consultation will run from 28 November 2024 to 26 February 2025.
Consultation documents
Operational detail for the legal harvest assurance system – discussion document [PDF, 3 MB]
Interim regulatory impact statement: Bringing the initial legal harvest assurance system into effect [PDF, 1.2 MB]
Related documents
Issues paper one: The legal harvest assurance framework [PDF, 4.4 MB]
Issues paper two: Implementing the legal harvest assurance framework [PDF, 5 MB]
What's being proposed?
As a trading nation, New Zealand has made a commitment to combat trade in illegally harvested timber. Trading partners are also implementing systems to combat illegal harvesting and associated trade. Examples include the Lacey Act in the United States of America, the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) in the European Union, and the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act in Australia.
Illegal harvesting is considered to be a low risk in New Zealand. However, a growing number of markets are asking exporters, including New Zealand exporters, to demonstrate their timber and timber products have come from legally harvested sources. Some markets will only accept government assurance that timber has been legally harvested.
Without effective and efficient legal harvest assurance in place, New Zealand exporters may risk losing market access. This would cause significant economic impact for the forestry and wood processing sector and broader New Zealand economy.
New Zealand also has the opportunity to reduce the risk of illegally harvested timber being imported into New Zealand, or traded within New Zealand. This will provide consumers with increased confidence that they are not contributing to the trade in illegally harvested timber.
Find out more about the forestry legal harvest assurance system
Making your submission
Send us your submission by 5pm on 26 February 2025. Our preference is for you to make a submission electronically – either by completing the online form or by email. However, we will also accept written submissions sent by post.
Online
Online submission form – Alchemer
By email or post
If you are sending us a submission by email or post, we encourage you to use the submission template. The submission template has the same questions as the online form.
Optional submission form template [DOCX, 327 KB]
When you have completed your submission, email it to mpi.forestry@mpi.govt.nz
Or post it to:
New Zealand’s legal harvest assurance system
Operational Policy – Forestry & Resource Management
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
- the title of the consultation document [Consultation on proposed operational detail for the forestry legal harvest assurance system]
- your name and title
- your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
- your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
