Burning of vegetation within hill and high country
Hill and high country is land with a slope of more than 20 degrees and/or land that is more than 600 metres above sea level. Burning vegetation in the Canterbury hill and high country is allowed provided certain conditions are met.
You must also provide us with prior notice of your burn (at least 20 working days before burning) using this online hill and high country burning form.
Checklist
- Is the slope of the land more than 20 degrees?
- Is the land more than 600m above sea level?
If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then you will need to make sure your intended burn meets all the conditions below or otherwise apply for resource consent.
- The burning is carried out between 1 June and 31 October.
- The burning shall occur at least:
- 5m from the bed of the river, where the wetted bed is more than 2m wide
- 5m from a wetland boundary, where the wetland is more than 0.5ha in area
- 5m from the bed of a lake
- Within the area to be burnt:
- The extent of bare ground is less than 20 per cent
- The slope is less than 35 degrees
- The land is less than 900m above mean sea level
- The land has not had vegetation burnt within the past 10 years
- The burnt area is either (one of the following):
- Spelled from grazing for at least six months after burning;
- or sown with pasture seed within six months of burning;
- or planted with trees within one year of burning.
If you have answered no to any of the above questions, you will be required to apply for a resource consent.
Please use our website or contact Customer Services on 0800 324 636 or ecinfo@ecan.govt.nz to obtain a copy of the application form and deposit fee information.
If you have answered yes to all of the above questions, we require you to fill out the Hill and high country burn form.