The New Zealand government plans to reform the Resource Management Act (RMA) to update forestry regulations.
The National Environmental Standard for Commercial Forestry (NES-CF) will be revised, along with new national guidelines and updates to existing policies.
The government aims to reduce complicated 2023 regulations to restore confidence in the forestry industry.
A rule allowing more flexible regulations on afforestation, regulation 6(4A), will be removed.
Regulation 6(1)(a) will be adjusted to simplify rules related to freshwater management and forestry.
Updates will improve the management of tree debris (slash), especially on low-risk land.
These reforms represent a significant change in New Zealand's forestry and resource management approach.