These regulations are the Forestry (East Coast) Grants Regulations 2000.

These regulations come into force on 14 April 2000.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(1) The approving authority may, in the authority's discretion, approve an East Coast forestry grant and, after executing an approval certificate, pay the grant in such manner and on such conditions as may be specified in these regulations and in the approval certificate.

(2) The approval and payment of a grant is subject to—

• (a) compliance by a landholder with these regulations; and

• (b) such money as may be fixed or allocated for the purpose; and

• (c) such priorities as may be established under regulation 10.

Any person may apply for an approval certificate if—

• (a) the person is a landholder; or

• (b) the person provides written evidence acceptable to the Secretary of an intention to become a landholder.

(1) An application under regulation 5 must be made to the Secretary and be accompanied by—

• (a) sufficient particulars of the landholding, and the area proposed for approval, to enable the Secretary to identify them; and

• (b) a land use certificate from a land use consultant approved by the Secretary to the effect that the consultant has accurately identified the land use capability classes for the land (as defined in the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory, 2nd edition 1999 or the equivalent units in the 1st edition 1974); and

• (c) a plan for the proposed grant area superimposed on a recent aerial photograph that shows—

  • (i) the boundaries of the proposed grant area; and

  • (ii) any internal planting boundaries where different planting years, species, or erosion control treatments are intended; and

  • (iii) any existing or proposed fencing; and

  • (iv) any excluded forest or closed canopy indigenous scrub within the proposed grant area.

(2) The approving authority may, if it thinks fit, exempt an applicant from the requirement to provide a land use certificate in accordance with subclause (1)(b).

(3) If forestry treatments are proposed, an applicant for an approval certificate must also provide,—

• (a) if archaeological sites within the proposed area are identified by the Secretary, an archaeological survey conducted by an archaeologist approved by the Secretary; and

• (b) if treatments involving indigenous vegetation clearance are proposed, a copy of any resource consent required for the clearance.

(4) The information listed in subclause (3)(a) and (b) need not accompany the application but must be provided to the Secretary, if a certificate is issued, before the grant is paid.

(1) An approval certificate in respect of any approved area must not be issued unless the applicant is the landholder for that area.

(2) An approval certificate may be issued in respect of an application at any time before 30 June in the year that forest establishment commences.

(1) Applications for approval certificates relating to areas of 50 hectares or more must be lodged with the Secretary before the close of 30 April in each calendar year.

(2) Applications for approval certificates relating to areas of less than 50 hectares must be lodged with the Secretary before the close of 30 June in each calendar year.

(3) The Minister may, by public notification, extend the time for lodging applications for approval certificates.

(1) An approval certificate must not be granted in respect of any area of land—

• (a) that is less than 5 hectares and any individual blocks that will be subject to erosion control treatments that are less than 2 hectares; or

• (b) that is an area of forest or closed canopy indigenous scrub greater than 1 hectare; or

• (c) that is greater than 1 hectare if, in the opinion of the Secretary, the area has recently been cleared of indigenous scrub, in order to support the application; or

• (d) that is a site of special wildlife interest or a recommended area for protection, as certified by the Department of Conservation; or

• (e) that is an archaeological site.

(2) An approval certificate can only be granted in respect of land—

• (a) that contains class VII, subclass “e” units 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 (as defined in the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory, 2nd edition 1999 or the equivalent units in the 1st edition 1974); or

• (b) that contains class VIII, subclass “e” units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (as so defined).

(3) Land that does not meet the class VII and class VIII, subclass “e” units requirements, may be included in an approval certificate if,—

• (a) in the opinion of the Secretary, it is within the same tributary watershed as land that does meet the requirements; and

• (b) it is based on practical and workable catchment or subcatchment boundaries.

(4) In the case of an area of land that is not less than 5 hectares but less than 50 hectares, an application for an approval certificate may be granted to the extent that the effect of the grant does not increase the total of such approved areas for the year for which the grant is sought to an area exceeding 500 hectares.

(5) In the case of an area of 50 hectares or more, an application for an approval certificate may be granted to the extent that the effect of the grant does not increase the total of such approved areas for the year for which the grant is sought to an area exceeding 6 500 hectares.

(6) If, in any year, less than 500 hectares of land specified in subclause (4) is approved for the purposes of grants, the maximum area specified in subclause (5) is deemed to be increased by the amount by which the other approved area is less than 500 hectares.

(7) If, in any year, less than 6 500 hectares of land specified in subclause (5) is approved for the purposes of grants, the maximum area specified in subclause (4) is deemed to be increased by the amount by which the other approved area is less than 6 500 hectares.

(1) The Minister may, in respect of all applications for approval certificates, or for any class or kind of those applications, fix priorities among them.

(2) If any applications are accorded equal priority under subclause (1), the applications have precedence according to the order of their receipt.

The approving authority—

• (a) must, in the approving authority's discretion, determine the amount of the grant, the manner of payment, and the conditions of payment; and

• (b) must specify those matters in the approval certificate the authority issues in respect of the grant.

The execution of the approval certificate by the approving authority entitles the landholder to receive the grant up to the amount, at the times, and subject to the conditions, specified in these regulations and in the approval certificate.

(1) An approving authority may include in an approval certificate any reasonable conditions relating to the work specified in the certificate or to the repayment of the grant (or both) that the approving authority thinks fit.

(2) The conditions that may be included in an approval certificate include conditions relating to—

• (a) the exclusion of stock from the area specified in the certificate:

• (b) the maintenance of fences on the boundary of the area specified in the certificate:

• (c) the maintenance of vegetation or seed sources:

• (d) the repayment of the grant (together with any interest due and payable) if the certificate holder does not comply with any conditions in the approval certificate or in any non-use covenant, replanting covenant, or non-use agreement required by subclause (4).

(3) Subclause (2) does not limit subclause (1).

(4) It is a condition of every grant that the certificate holder must—

• (a) register a non-use covenant or replanting covenant, of at least 50 years' duration, against the title of the land that includes the conditions specified in the certificate of approval; or

• (b) if the Secretary thinks fit, execute a non-use agreement in relation to the land that includes the conditions specified in the certificate of approval.

(5) The Secretary may exercise his or her discretion under subclause (4)(b) only after consultation with the Director-General of Conservation.

(1) With the agreement of the holder of an approval certificate, the approving authority may, in writing, at any time while the certificate is in force, vary any term or condition of the certificate to reflect any change—

• (a) in the boundaries of the area specified in the certificate; or

• (b) in the operation to which the certificate relates.

(2) With the agreement of the holder of an approval certificate, the approving authority may, in writing, at any time while the certificate is in force, vary the certificate to apply it to any specified additional area if—

• (a) the additional area is contiguous to the approved area; and

• (b) the holder of the certificate is the landholder for the additional area; and

• (c) the additional area does not exceed 25 hectares; and

• (d) the approving authority is satisfied that the addition of the area to the approved area will provide more effective land stabilisation boundaries for the approved area; and

• (e) the landholder holds a certificate in respect of the additional area that complies with regulation 6(1)(b); and

• (f) the landholder has furnished a plan in respect of the additional area that complies with regulation 6(1)(c).

(3) Every additional area to which an approval certificate is applied under subclause (2) forms part of the approved area and is subject to all the terms and conditions applying in respect of the approved area under these regulations.

(4) A variation made under subclause (1) or subclause (2) is effective on and from the date it is made or such later date as may be specified by the approving authority.

The amount of any forestry grant that may be paid in any 1 year must not exceed the amount approved for that year in the approval certificate.

Every claim for payment under an East Coast forestry grant must—

• (a) be made in the prescribed form by or on behalf of the landholder of the approved area in respect of which the claim is made; and

• (b) be made after the work specified for any year in an approval certificate has been carried out by the landholder; and

• (c) be accompanied by a certified account as to the expenditure incurred, and as may otherwise be reasonably required by the Secretary; and

• (d) be accompanied by evidence, with appropriate and reasonable accuracy, as to the area of established trees or reversion, as the case may be.

All claims for payment must be lodged with an approving authority within 3 months after the end of the year for which payment is claimed.

(1) Every payment under a grant is subject to the prior issue of a payment approval certificate endorsed by an approving authority.

(2) The approving authority must not endorse any payment approval certificate for the purpose of approving any payment under a grant unless the authority is satisfied that—

• (a) the required work for the relevant year has been carried out; and

• (b) such work has been carried out to a satisfactory standard.

The receipt by the Secretary of any application for an approval certificate or claim for payment authorises the Secretary, in respect of that application or claim,—

• (a) to obtain all such information and require all such inspections to be made as the Secretary certifies are necessary to verify that the application or claim is in order for the purposes of these regulations; and

• (b) to supply the Commissioner particulars of—

  • (i) the application, the claim, any approval certificate, any payment approval certificate, or certified account relating to that application; and

  • (ii) any claim for which application is made or under which payment is claimed; and

  • (iii) any payments made or payable under the grant; and

• (c) upon compliance by the landholder with all requirements under these regulations, to arrange payment of money by way of a grant to the landholder or to an authorised agent of the landholder.

(1) Upon the transfer (whether by sale, exchange, gift, transmission, or otherwise) of ownership of a landholding that is wholly or in part an approved area, the landholder by whom that area is acquired may apply to the Secretary for the transfer into the landholder's name of the approval certificate.

(2) The Secretary may, if the Secretary thinks fit, approve the transfer, subject, with any necessary modifications, to the terms and conditions on which it was originally issued and to all the requirements of these regulations.

Subject to regulation 20, the right to receive an East Coast forestry grant is deemed to be terminated if the landholder ceases to be a landholder for the approved area in respect of which the grant has been approved.

(1) Every person commits an offence against these regulations who—

• (a) applies for an initial approval certificate knowing that the person is not entitled to one under these regulations; or

• (b) claims any payment under these regulations to which the person knows the person is not entitled; or

• (c) supplies any information in relation to an application or claim under these regulations knowing that the information is misleading or incorrect.

(2) Every person who commits an offence against these regulations is liable on conviction,—

• (a) in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $2,000, and, if the offence is a continuing one, to a further fine not exceeding $200 for every day during which the offence continues:

• (b) in the case of a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding $12,000, and, if the offence is a continuing one, to a further fine not exceeding $1,200 for every day during which the offence continues.

The Forestry (East Coast) Grants Regulations 1992 (SR 1992/301) are revoked.