New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme Draft Forestry Allocation Plan

The "Draft Forestry Allocation Plan" outlines the proposed approach to allocating New Zealand Units (NZUs) to pre-1990 forest owners under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

The supporting "Information Document: New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme Draft Forestry Allocation Plan and Deforestation Exemption Policies for Pre-1990 Forest Land" explains the rationale for that intended approach in more detail and also outlines the intended approach for granting exemptions.

Under the ETS, all owners of pre-1990 forest land will need to decide whether to:

  • apply for an allocation of NZUs; or
  • if eligible, apply to have land permanently exempt from the ETS (under the "less than 50 hectare" threshold exemption or the "tree weed exemption").

Download the “Draft Forestry Allocation Plan” and supporting information document

Next steps

Submissions on the “Draft Forestry Allocation Plan” closed on 30 April 2009. The Director-General of MAF must now prepare a report on the submissions for the Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues. On the basis of that report, the Minister may amend the “Draft Forestry Allocation Plan”. The Minister will then recommend to the Governor-General that a finalised Forestry Allocation Plan be issued by Order in Council.

This process will take some time. MAF expects that the timeframe for issuing a final FAP will be clearer in early June. In February, the Government signalled its intention to push out the closing date for <50ha exemptions.

Forest owners have only one chance to apply, and cannot apply for both an allocation and an exemption on the same piece of land. There is no intention to leave foresters with insufficient time to consider and apply for exemptions.

Advisory note
There is an error in Rule 10(2) of the draft Forestry Allocation Plan. Rule 10(2) should only refer to post-dated units under 10(1)(a) not the allocation of units under 10(1)(b). Rule 10(2) should read as follows:

10. RULES FOR ALLOCATION OF DIFFERENTLY DATED UNITS

(1) The Minister must allocate New Zealand units to eligible persons under this allocation plan as follows:

(a) the units referred to in clause 6(1)(b) must be allocated in respect of eligible land on which are growing at 1 January 2008 the -

(i) youngest 24% of the exotic forest species growing on the eligible land; and

(ii) next oldest 38% of the exotic forest species growing on the eligible land; and

(b) the units referred to in clause 6(1)(a) must be allocated in respect of eligible land on which are growing at 1 January 2008 the oldest 38% of the exotic forest species growing on the eligible land.

(2) The units allocated in respect of the eligible land referred to in –

(a) subclause 1(a)(i) may not be surrendered or converted until on or after 1 January 2018; and

(b) subclause 1(a)(ii) may not be surrendered or converted until on or after 1 January 2013.

(3) The percentages referred to in subclause (1) must be determined by reference to the information about the age of trees growing on eligible land provided by applicants in the schedules provided under clause 8(f)(ii).

Contact for Enquiries

Emissions Trading Scheme
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 1127
Wellington

Contact us

Or call us on 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)

 
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