Burning on trade premises

You must ensure that you do not cause a smoke or odour nuisance outside your boundary.

Rules within Northland – Trade and Industrial

  • In Northland, including within the Whangārei Airshed, trade or industrial sites are only allowed to burn untreated wood, paper, cardboard or vegetation
  • You must ensure that you do not cause a smoke or odour nuisance outside your boundary
  • All items must have been generated onsite. You cannot burn rubbish or materials brought from another location. You cannot take your waste to another location, such as a farm, to burn
  • Burning must be in a qualifying incinerator.

If you wish to burn other materials or use an alternative method, you may need a consent. Contact us on 0800 002 004 and speak to one of our consents team about discharge consents. 

Qualifying incinerator

A qualifying incinerator is made from non-combustible materials and is designed to burn waste. It must:

  • Contain all sparks and embers
  • Have a grate under the embers
  • Have a lid or spark arrestor.

Alternatives to burning - trade

  • Recycle plastics, paper, glass and tins by placing them in your recycling bin, or taking them to your local recycling centre
  • Take larger quantities of refuse to a transfer station for disposal
  • Hire a mini skip and place your waste material in the skip for removal.

Cooking fires, kilns and bonfires 

Burning for cooking - including BBQ, hangi or umu - is permitted, along with wood fired kiln and in some cases community bonfires, but you must not cause smoke or odour nuisance outside of your boundaries.

More information about air quality rules

Our Proposed Regional Plan says what you can and what you can’t burn, what needs a resource consent and what is prohibited.

Go to the Proposed Regional Plan for Northland and information

Penalties

Those found breaching regional rules may face enforcement action and this can include being issued with an instant fine of up to $1,000.