If you are planning to undertake a crop residue burn this fire season, please ensure you are aware of all the requirements.
The Basics
Determine the fire status for your area, i.e., open, restricted or prohibited. You can do this by typing your address into www.checkitsalright.nz
- Only burn during daylight hours.
- Where possible, avoid burning on weekends, more people are about and likely to call 111 when they see smoke.
- Call the Fire Control Centre (03 341 0266) and tell them you are going to burn. Should they receive any 111 calls, they can respond appropriately.
- Any burn adjacent to a public highway must have an appropriate traffic management plan in place. Where smoke obstructs visibility on a public highway the person responsible can be legally liable for any traffic accidents.
- Inform neighbours of the date/time of the burn. Farmers have a responsibility for good fire management.
Environment Canterbury requirements
As part of the Environment Canterbury (ECan) Air Regional Plan, all farmers are required to complete a smoke management plan which explains how smoke from the burn will be managed.
For ECan’s smoke management plan template click here. Conditions relating to the plan include:
- Discharge must not cause offensive or objectionable effect beyond the boundary.
- Burning must not occur within 100m of any National Grid power line or substation unless permission has been granted by Transpower. Phone 0508 LANDOWNER (0508 526 369), for more information click here or contact your Transpower Land Liaison officer.
- The person responsible for the crop residue burn has a smoke management plan and manages the fire in accordance with that plan.
- The Smoke Management Plan must be supplied to ECan, on request.
- All farmers who are in the crop residue buffer zone of Timaru or Ashburton need to apply for a resource consent to burn standing crop residue. To find out if you need a resource consent click here.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand requirements
In a restricted fire season, all farmers need to apply for a permit from FENZ to undertake a crop residue burn.
- Applications for a crop residue burn permit can be made at www.checkitsalright.nz
- A permit application can be made before the declaration of a restricted fire season and will be for the duration of the season.
- Applications can take up to seven working days to be approved.
- Please make sure your permit has been approved before you light any fire. Under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly light a fire in open air without a fire permit during a restricted or prohibited fire season.
- To apply for a permit, visit checkitsalright.nz or call 0800 658 628.