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Natural Environment Bill

Enforcement and other matters - Emergency works

302: Natural resource permits for emergency works

You could also call this:

"Notifying and getting permission for emergency work on someone else's land"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

If you do some work in an emergency under section 301, you must tell the permit authority within 7 days. You do this if you are not the occupier of the land, or if you are an authority, network utility operator, or lifeline utility. You must advise them that the work has been done. If the work would normally break rules like sections 17, 18, 19, 12, and 20, and it is still causing problems, you must apply for a natural resource permit. You must do this in writing within 30 working days of telling the permit authority about the work. This is so you can get permission to continue the work. If you apply for the permit on time, you can keep doing the work until the permit authority makes a decision and any appeals are finished.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1521383.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planningHousing and property > Land use

301: Emergency works and power to take preventive or remedial action, or

"Stopping environmental dangers quickly"

303: Emergency works under Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, or

"Doing emergency work to keep people safe during a disaster"

Part 6Enforcement and other matters
Emergency works

302Natural resource permits for emergency works

Where an activity is undertaken under section 301, the person (other than the occupier), authority, network utility operator, or lifeline utility who or which undertook the activity must advise the appropriate permit authority, within 7 days, that the activity has been undertaken.
Where such an activity, but for section 301, contravenes any of sections 17, 18, 19, 12, and 20 and the adverse effects of the activity continue, then the person (other than the occupier), authority, network utility operator, or lifeline utility who or which undertook the activity must apply in writing to the appropriate permit authority for any necessary natural resource permits required in respect of the activity within 30 working days of the notification under subsection (1).
If the application is made within the time stated in subsection (2), the activity may continue until the application for a natural resource permit and any appeals have been finally determined.