MAF Indigenous Forestry Unit
The role of the Indigenous Forestry Unit, with offices located in Christchurch and Rotorua, is to facilitate the sustainable management of New Zealand's indigenous forests. The unit administers the indigenous forestry provisions of the Forests Act 1949, which was amended in 1993 to bring an end to unsustainable harvesting and clearfelling of indigenous forest.
Under the Forests Act, indigenous timber can only be produced from forests which are managed in a way that maintains continuous forest cover and ecological balance. Management systems ensure that the forests continuously provide a full range of products and amenities, in perpetuity, while retaining the forests' natural values. Only single trees and small groups of trees can be felled for timber production.
There are provisions for milling minor quantities of timber where a plan or permit is not in place e.g. naturally dead, windthrown and salvaged timber, and timber approved for harvesting and milling for an owner's personal use.
The Indigenous Forestry Unit approves sustainable management plans for all indigenous production forests, and sawmills may only mill logs sourced from forests managed according to sustainable management plans or permits. 
Around 1 million hectares of privately-owned indigenous forest must comply with the provisions of the Act when harvesting indigenous timber for milling. Currently around 112,500 hectares of forests are subject to management under 584 management plans and permits. They produce a range of timbers for use in furniture and speciality areas. Approximately 250,000 hectares of indigenous forests have the potential to be sustainably managed.
Specifically the unit:
- approves forest management plans and permits;
- approves (and monitors) annual logging plans;
- registers sawmills to mill indigenous timber;
- issues milling statements for other timber not sourced from plans or permits;
- approves indigenous timber notified for export;
- monitors and enforces compliance with the Forests Act.
The Indigenous Forestry Unit is also responsible for the implementation of the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative (PFSI). Additional information on this initiative can be found at www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/pfsi/.
Publications
- Estimation of Standing Volume for Indigenous Tree Species
The volume of standing trees for most indigenous tree species can be estimated.
- A Guide to Preparing Draft Sustainable Forest Management Plans, Sustainable Forest Management Permit Applications and Annual Logging Plans
This guide will help owners of indigenous forest landholdings understand the sustainable forest management (SFM) provisions of the Forests Act. more>>
- Consultation on the proposed regulations, cost recovery methods and forest sink covenant for the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative
The PFSI is a government initiative that promotes the establishment of permanent forests on previously unforested land. more>>
- Standards and Guidelines for Sustainable Management of Indigenous Forests Third Edition, June 2007
This publication details the statutory requirements under Part IIIA of the Forests Act, and specifies standards for the approval and administration of Sustainable Forest Management Plans and Permits. more>>
- Indigenous Forestry on Private Land: Present Trends and Future Potential - MAF Technical Paper No 01/6 [PDF version 80K]
New Zealand's indigenous forests cover an estimated 24 percent of its land surface, half that present prior to the European colonisation of New Zealand and one third that estimated to have been present before the arrival of Polynesians. more>>
- Development of Māori Owned Indigenous Forests - MAF Technical Paper No 2003/4 [PDF version 753K]
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Land Cover Database has been used as the basis for this study. This has allowed accurate definition of the area of New Zealand that actually supports high indigenous forest. more>>
Application Forms
- Annual logging plan template
PDF [196 KB PDF]
Word file [484 KB Microsoft Word]
Rich Text file [2145 KB RTF]
- Sustainable forest management permit application form
PDF [88 KB PDF]
Word file [261 KB Microsoft Word]
Rich Text file [2110 KB RTF]
- Personal use application form: For use when applying to harvest or mill indigenous timber for personal use under Part IIIA of the Forests Act.
Download as Word file [120 KB Microsoft Word]
Download as Rich Text file [510 KB RTF]
- Other timber application form: For use when applying for a Milling Certificate to mill indigenous under Part IIIA of the Forests Act.
Download as Word file [125 KB Microsoft Word]
Download as Rich Text file [530 KB RTF]
Contact for Enquiries
Indigenous Forestry Unit
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
14 Sir William Pickering Drive
PO Box 20 280
Bishopdale
Christchurch 8053
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: 64 3 943 3700
Fax: 64 3 943 3701
Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park
99 Sala Street
PO Box 1340
Rotorua
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: 64 7 921 3400
Fax: 64 7 921 3402
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