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Nigel and Gina Easterbrook
20 February 2025
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Thanks so much for your fantastic service. Highly highly recommend to all. Nigel and Gina Easterbrook.
Guide
Wood Burner Rules in Tauranga & the Bay of Plenty
Which fire you can install depends on the size of your section, where you live and whether it burns wood or gas. Here is what the national standard, the regional council and Tauranga City Council say, in plain English.
The 2 hectare rule: clean air or rural?
New Zealand has one national standard for wood burners. If your property is under 2 hectares, any new wood burner must emit less than 1.5 grams of particles per kilogram of dry wood burnt and be at least 65% efficient. Burners that pass are put on the Ministry for the Environment’s authorised list, and only those can go in.
That is why most fires come in two versions. The clean air (sometimes called ULEB or urban) model is the one for town sections. The rural model is for properties of 2 hectares or more, where the national standard doesn’t apply. The rural model doesn’t have to meet the clean air limits, so its air controls can be set up differently.
The standard covers wood burners. Open fires, multi-fuel burners, pellet burners and wood-burning cooking stoves are treated differently, so ask us about those.
Tauranga and the Western Bay
Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty follow the national standard above. We haven’t found an extra local wood burner rule for Tauranga homes. The Mount Maunganui airshed you may have heard about deals with industrial emissions around the port, not home fires.
Every fire on our website is marked with the models it comes in (clean air, rural or both), so you can see straight away what suits your section.
Rotorua is stricter
Rotorua has its own airshed rules, run by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council. Inside the Rotorua airshed:
- a new wood burner must emit no more than 0.60 g/kg, be at least 65% efficient and be on the authorised list
- it is generally only allowed as a replacement for an existing permitted burner in the same house; otherwise a resource consent is needed
- open fires, multi-fuel burners, potbelly stoves, coal burners and wood burners installed before 1 September 2005 don’t comply
- when a house is sold, non-compliant burners have to be removed or replaced (and open fires made unusable) before the title transfers
If you’re in Rotorua, tell us when you enquire and we’ll only suggest fires that qualify.
You need a building consent
Tauranga City Council says you need a building consent to install, move or replace a solid fuel heater, wood burner or a freestanding or inbuilt fireplace. Every installation is inspected, and the council notes that many insurers won’t pay out if a heater was installed incorrectly or without consent.
As at July 2026 the council’s fixed fees were $612 for a freestanding heater (one inspection) and $858 for an inbuilt heater (two inspections), including the Code Compliance Certificate. Extra inspections or information cost more.
We handle the consent paperwork, the installation and the inspection for you. See permits & installation.
Gas fires: certificates, not consent rules
Gas fires don’t fall under the wood burner standard. Instead, WorkSafe requires a Gas Safety Certificate for all gasfitting work, and a Certificate of Compliance for general and high-risk work. Gas fires must be installed by a licensed gasfitter, following the maker’s instructions for the flue and clearances.
Sources
Official guidance we checked when writing this page (November 2026). Rules and fees change, so check the source or ask us before you rely on a figure.
- Ministry for the Environment — wood burners on properties under 2 hectares
- Ministry for the Environment — authorised wood burner FAQ
- Bay of Plenty Regional Council — Rotorua air quality
- Tauranga City Council — installing a solid fuel heater
- Tauranga City Council — building service fees
- WorkSafe — getting gas work done
Good to Know
Common questions
Can I put a rural wood burner on a town section?
No. On a property under 2 hectares a new wood burner must be on the Ministry for the Environment’s authorised list, which means the clean air model.
Do I need a consent to replace an old wood burner?
Yes. Tauranga City Council requires a building consent to install, move or replace a wood burner or fireplace, and the work is inspected.
Can a clean air wood burner have a wetback?
Yes, if that model is on the authorised list with its wetback. Wetback burners still have to meet the national standard.
Do gas fires need a building consent?
Gas fires are certified by the gasfitter: a Gas Safety Certificate for all gasfitting work and a Certificate of Compliance for general and high-risk work. We’ll tell you what your install needs.
Questions?
Talk to a local expert
Free advice and an accurate installation quote from our team in Tauriko, Tauranga.