Councils no longer have the jurisdiction to deal with fire hazards. On 1 July 2017 the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) Act 2017 came into force. This means that all rural and urban fire functions transferred over from local Councils and are now managed by FENZ. i.e. overgrown sections that you think may be a fire hazard should be reported to FENZ rather than Council.

Please call Fire and Emergency NZ on 0800 336 942 or visit the Fire Emergency New Zealand website to report the issue.

Environment Canterbury (ECan)  are the responsible agency for enforcing  air, land and water standards. ECan's Canterbury Air Regional Plan allows some outdoor burning but encourages alternatives such as composting, mulching, using kerb-side collection services or visiting a transfer station.

The Air Plan’s outdoor burning measures are based on property size, not on whether you’re in a rural or urban area. Even if burning is allowed under the rules, be aware that Fire and Emergency New Zealand have their own restrictions and permitting requirements, which can be accessed on their handy website tool.

To report a burning-related incident, call Environment Canterbury on 0800 765 588 (24 hours) or use the Snap Send Solve app to report an issue from your mobile phone.

There are also different rules that apply if your property is either Under or Over Two Hectares.