Requests for further information before public consultation. Sometimes we will request further information from an applicant or other sources before the application is publicly notified or, for application that are not consulted on, before the consideration date is set.

For publicly notified applications, the requested information is published online when public consultation starts.

If the applicant doesn't provide the information within a year, the application lapses.

Requests for further information from other sources

Sometimes after an application has been publicly notified or the consideration date set, we will seek further information from sources other than the applicant.

This information is published online at least 10 working days before a hearing or when the application is considered.

We have the power to postpone a hearing or consideration until further information of this type has been received. This is why time waivers are sometimes sought at the same time as further information requests.

When we, the EPA, assess a new hazardous substance for use in New Zealand, we need information. We need to know about the physical and chemical properties, toxicological effects, the environmental fate and the ecotoxicological effects of the substance to support the decision.

We use this information to consider the benefits of using the substance and we weigh these alongside the risks and the cost.

For more information about the approach we use for evaluating the risk, cost and benefit of a hazardous substance, including technical appendices about the modelling approach:

Read our Hazardous Substances Risk Assessment Methodology document (DOCX, 1.2MB)

For chemical pesticides, the following document gives our data requirements in a checklist format (mandatory and conditional requirements): 

Data requirements for Hazardous Substances applications (DOCX, 412KB)

Please contact us (at HSapplications@epa.govt.nz) to check the data requirements for applications for substances other than chemical pesticides (e.g. a new veterinary medicine, pure chemical, or biological pesticide).

While gathering data to support your application, remember that new studies may not be the only way of meeting the data requirements. In some cases it may be possible to justify waiving a specific data requirement or a read across from a similar substance(s).

However, if a type of information is required by us, and it is not available, you should explain why. If you consider that a study is not needed then you must include a justification for waiving this data requirement with your application.

Guidance on using read-across data (PDF, 144KB)

If you are uncertain about what information is needed for your application, please get in touch by email:

HSApplications@epa.govt.nz

The active ingredients in pesticides can contain manufacturing impurities that show additional, or more severe, toxic and/or ecotoxic properties compared to the active ingredient.

Limits for these toxicologically relevant impurities have often been established by overseas organisations, such as the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and/or the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Specifications (JMPS).

When toxicologically relevant impurities are identified for active ingredients in pesticides, a control may be applied to the substance to limit the amount of the impurity that may be present.

In most cases these limits will be in line with those established by the APVMA or JMPS. However, we may at times set limits for other toxicologically relevant impurities where this is considered appropriate.