Fees, charges and cost recovery
The Government expects us to set fees that recover a fair and reasonable proportion of the costs of providing our services.
Here are our current application fees, charges and costs. There's also information about how to pay.
Exclusive Economic Zone activities
Some of the work we do to implement the EEZ Act* is paid for by parties using these services. Actual and reasonable costs incurred through our functions such as assessing applications or compliance monitoring are recovered in line with the EEZ Act. Our EEZ Cost Recovery Policy outlines our approach to cost recovery for these functions.
View the EEZ Cost Recovery Policy (pdf 126KB)
The hourly rates we charge are set out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2013.
Charge-out rates for EPA staff
Assessing applications
| Hourly rate ($NZ, excl. GST) | |
| Principal Technical Advisor | 290.00 |
| Project Leader | 140.80 |
| Senior Advisor | 116.12 |
| Advisor | 103.75 |
| Administrator | 97.43 |
Compliance monitoring
| Hourly rate ($NZ, excl. GST) | |
| Principal Technical Advisor | 232.00 |
| Project Leader | 112.64 |
| Senior Advisor | 92.90 |
| Advisor | 83.00 |
| Administrator | 77.94 |
Burials at sea
We don't have a set rate for issuing certificates of compliance for burials at sea. The cost will depend on how much time it takes us to consider your proposal. In general, we expect the cost to be about $200-300 NZD.
*The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012
Hazardous substances applications
Talk to us before submitting an application so we can help determine which application type you should use, and what fees or costs would apply.
| NZ$ GST excluded | NZ$ GST excluded | NZ$ GST included | |
| Application type | Until 30 September 2018 | From 1 October 2018 | |
| Section 26 determinations regarding a hazardous substance | 1,000 | 3,000 | 3,450 |
| Section 28 application for approval to import or manufacture hazardous substances, rapid assessment under section 28A(2)(a) or (2)(b) |
500 | Initial lodgement: 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Second payment: 3,000 | 3,450 | ||
| Section 28 application for approval to import or manufacture hazardous substances, rapid assessment under section 28A(2)(c) |
500 |
Initial lodgement: 1,000 |
1,150 |
| Second payment: 2,000 | 2,300 | ||
| Section 28, application for approval to import or manufacture hazardous substances, Category A |
3,000 | Initial lodgement: 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Second payment: 4,000 | 4,600 | ||
| Section 28 application for approval to import or manufacture hazardous substances, Category B |
5,000 | Initial lodgement: 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Second payment: 9,000 | 10,350 | ||
| Section 28 application for approval to import or manufacture hazardous substances, Category C |
15,000 | Initial lodgement: 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Second payment: 24,000 | 27,600 | ||
| Section 31 application for hazardous substances containment approval | 500 | 1,500 | 1,725 |
| Section 51 application for approval for transhipment of hazardous substances | 250 | 2,000 | 2,300 |
| Section 62 request for grounds for reassessment of a hazardous substance | 500 | 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Section 63 request for reassessment of a hazardous substance (full reassessment) | Negotiated | 25,000 | 28,750 |
| Section 63A request for a modified reassessment of hazardous substance approval(s) | Negotiated | 10,000 | 11,150 |
| Section 67A request for administrative matter minor amendment | 100 or 500 | 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Section 67A request for any other minor or technical amendment | 100 or 500 | 2,000 | 2,300 |
| Section 96B application for a new group standard | Not specified | 25,000 | 28,750 |
| Section 96B application to amend a group standard | 3,000 | 10,000 | 11,150 |
| Notified applications or requests, additional fee | Incidentals | 5,000 | 5,750 |
| Additional fee for specialist reports where the Environmental Protection Authority does not have expertise |
Actual and reasonable cost | ||
| Import certificate for explosives and fireworks under the Hazardous Substances (Importers and Manufacturers) Notice 2015 |
100 | 500 | 575 |
| Import certificate for novelty fireworks under the Hazardous Substances (Importers and Manufacturers) Notice 2015 |
50 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
This Schedule is issued under section 21(1) of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.
New organism applications
Talk to us before submitting an application so we can help determine which application type you should use, and what fees or costs would apply.
| NZ$ GST excluded | $NZ GST included | ||
| Application type | Until 30 September 2018 | From 1 October 2018 | |
| Section 26 determine whether an organism is a new organism | 1,000 | 1,200 | 1,460 |
| Section 34 application for approval to import or release without controls for research or for biological control |
15,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
| Section 34 application for approval to import or release without controls, not research or biological control |
15,000 | 25,000 | 28,750 |
| Section 34 application, determined under section 38I release of qualifying organism (medicine or veterinary medicine) |
500 | 10,000 | 11,150 |
| Section 40 application for containment approval for new organism, non-notified | 2,000 | 3,500 | 4,025 |
| Section 40 application for containment approval for new organism, rapid assessment | 500 | 1,500 | 1,725 |
| Section 51 application for approval for transhipment of new organism | 1,000 | 4,000 | 4,600 |
| Section 67A request for a minor or technical amendment to a new organism rapid assessment approval made under section 42A, section 42B or section 42C |
100 or 500 | 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Section 67A request for a minor or technical amendment to a new organism approval other than an approval under section 42A, section 42B or section 42C |
100 or 500 | 2,000 | 2,300 |
| Applications for genetically modified organisms not elsewhere provided | Negotiated | 25,000 | 28,750 |
| Notified applications, additional fee | Incidentals | 5,000 | 5,750 |
| Additional fee for specialist reports where the Environmental Protection Authority does not have expertise |
Actual and reasonable cost | ||
This Schedule is issued under section 21(1) of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.
Nationally Significant Proposals
We recover all actual and reasonable costs from the applicant when we administer proposals of national significance.
This includes any costs for providing secretarial and support services to a board of inquiry, and for making recommendations to the Minister for the Environment on applications.
We also recover costs for providing advice to potential applicants prior to a proposal being lodged with us, even if it is not subsequently lodged with the us.
To find out more about our policies, and about who and what is charged, you can read our factsheet and cost recovery policy.
Cost recovery policy for proposals of national significance (pdf 350KB)
Charge-out rates for EPA staff
| Hourly rate ($NZ, excl. GST) | |
| Project Administrator | 90.96 |
| EPA Advisor | 96.85 |
| EPA Senior Advisor | 108.43 |
| Project Leader | 131.43 |
How much will the Nationally Significant Proposal process cost? - factsheet (pdf 255KB)
Miscellaneous fees and charges
| Activity | Fee ($NZ, incl. GST) |
| Request further information or commission a report | 115.00 |
Fee payments and refunds
How to pay your fees and charges
Direct credit
Our bank account details are:
| Account name | Environmental Protection Authority |
| Bank | Westpac Banking Corporation |
| Branch | 318 Lambton Quay, Wellington New Zealand |
| Full account number | 03-0584-0197707-00 |
| Bank Number | 03 |
| Branch number | 0584 |
| Account number | 0197707-00 |
| Swift code | WPACNZ2W |
| Payee reference | include your application number |
Email your remittance advice to finance@epa.govt.nz, stating the amount of payment, customer name, application number and application type e.g. Explosives Import Certificate.
When to pay your fee
Negotiated fees
Progress payments are required throughout the period it takes to process your application. A payment schedule is agreed at the time your fee is negotiated. We will invoice you for your initial payment. The initial payment is usually the fixed fee for the nearest comparable application type. Once we receive your initial payment we can formally receive your application.
Fixed application fees
We will invoice you once we confirm the type of application you have made, and determined how it will be processed. We cannot formally accept your application and begin processing it until payment has been received.
If you are recognised as an approved customer, we can invoice your fee and you can pay it the following month.
Becoming an approved customer
If you consistently submit more than one application per month you can ask to be recognised as an approved customer. If accepted, you do not need to pay your fee each time you submit an application. Instead, we will invoice you on a monthly basis for all the applications you submitted in that month. You must pay the invoice by the 20th of the following month.
We will begin processing your application as soon as we receive it (provided that the application is complete and the form is signed).
To be accepted as an approved customer you must:
- have submitted more than one application per month for the last six months.
- have made all required payments at the time of submitting each application.
If you believe you are eligible for approved customer status please email us at HSapplications@epa.govt.nz. Your email should include evidence that you've submitted the required number of applications, and have made the required number of payments.
To remain an approved customer, you must:
- have submitted more than one application per month over the last six months.
- paid each invoice by the 20th of the following month.
We may remove your approved customer status if you don’t continue to meet the above criteria.
Refunding your fees
Once your application is formally received your fee will not be refunded. However, there are some circumstances where we may partially or totally refund a fee. These are:
- When an application is not formally accepted by us. If payment was made in anticipation of acceptance, the fee will be refunded.
- When the application has special features, or where the actual costs are substantially less than other applications of the same type (for example, for a publicly notified application that does not require a hearing).
All refunds will be processed after a decision is made about the application.
No refunds will be given for hazardous substance Compliance Approvals, Waivers and Licences once processing has begun.
Other information about fees and charges
The principles we use to set our prices
We use six pricing principles to set the fees and charges that were agreed by the Government in August 2003. The principles state that prices should:
- reflect actual costs
- not discourage applicants
- ensure predictability
- recognise public benefits
- enable us to anticipate planned legislative change
- not be a barrier to growth and innovation.
We aim to strike a balance between the first principle – the cost to process applications – and the remaining five that focus on encouraging and supporting the application process.
Application fees vary depending on the complexity of the application, processing time, and whether it's publicly notified or not. If fees change you will be charged the fee that applied at the time you submitted your application.
Why some fees are negotiated
Most of our applications have fixed fees. But for some applications the fee is listed as “negotiated”. These are mostly unique applications where there have been too few instances of that application type to establish a history of costs. The fee is determined on an individual basis, after consultation with you and prior to your application being processed.
The best way to determine what your application fee will be is to talk to us as early as possible, before you start preparing your application.
Disbursement charges
Some applications have a fixed fee plus disbursements. These are usually applications that are publicly notified and the disbursements can include costs incurred to notify the application. This may be an advertisement in the four main national newspapers.
The disbursements associated with a negotiated fee are also for advertising the application but may also include some of the costs for a public hearing (if one is needed). Any costs incurred from engaging consultants and external experts to provide further information will be on-charged to you as they are charged to us. We will provide an estimate of disbursement costs before you submit your application.
Further information requests
As far as possible, we will identify all the information you need to provide in your application before it is formally accepted. But occasionally we need to request further information after receiving your application. We can only do this within the first 10 working days after it has been formally accepted.
If you are unable or unwilling to provide the requested information, we may charge you the additional costs incurred to seek the information ourselves. The cost of securing the information will be charged at the standard hourly rate. You can ask for an estimate of the additional costs you are likely to be charged.
Related content
Cost Recovery Policy for EEZ applications
Information about how we recover EEZ costs
EEZ (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2013
Read the full regulations on the New Zealand Legislation website
Cost Recovery Policy for Nationally Significant Proposals
Find out about our cost recovery process for nationally significant proposals