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How the National Environmental Standards deal with electricity transmission activities (1 of 12)

These pages set out aspects of the NES that Transpower and councils need to consider for transmission activities.

  1. Summary of the NES
  2. Operation of existing transmission line and use of access tracks
  3. Overhead conductors and adding overhead circuits
  4. Earthwires and telecommunications cables
  5. Work on underground conductors / Taking existing overhead transmission lines underground
  6. Increasing voltage or current rating / Electric and magnetic fields
  7. Transmission line support structures — alteration, relocation, and replacement / Temporary / Removal
  8. Telecommunications and signs / Devices / Signs
  9. Discharges
  10. Trimming, felling, and removing trees and vegetation
  11. Earthworks
  12. Noise and vibration from construction activity

Summary of the NES

The National  Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission (NES) set out electricity transmission activities that are permitted, controlled,  restricted discretionary, discretionary or non-complying.

The NES can be viewed in full online and is summarised in the following table. Use this table to navigate to the relevant regulations or guidance on regulations relating to specific activities. The first link in a row of the table will take you to guidance on the relevant regulation and the second link to the actual regulation.

Summary of NES activities

P – permitted activity, C - controlled activity, RD - restricted discretionary activity, D - discretionary activity, NC - non-complying activity; EMF - electric and magnetic fields

Activity P C RD
Operating existing transmission lines and using access tracks - regulation 5 P
Adding, replacing or maintaining overhead conductors (but not adding circuits) (adding conductors subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 6 P    
Adding, replacing or maintaining overhead earth wires and aerial communications cables - regulation 7 P    
Adding overhead circuits (where support structure was designed and built to carry an extra circuit) (subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 8 P    
Adding or replacing overhead circuits, conductors, earth wires or cables that do not meet permitted activity conditions (subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 9     RD
Increasing the voltage or current rating of a line (subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 10 P    
Adding, replacing or maintaining underground conductors (adding conductors subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 11 P    
Undergrounding of existing transmission lines, including termination towers (subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 12   C  
Specified activities that breach EMF conditions in regulation 10 - regulation 13 NC – non-complying
Altering, relocating or replacing support structures and foundations within height, size and relocation distance limits - regulation 14 P    
Altering, relocating or replacing support structures and foundations, exceeding permitted thresholds - regulation 15   C  
Altering, relocating or replacing support structures not meeting controlled activity conditions (subject to EMF conditions) - regulation 16     RD
Temporary structures and temporary line deviation - regulation 17 P    
Temporary structures and temporary line deviation exceeding time constraints - regulation 18   C  
Removal of transmission lines - regulation 19 P    
Removal of transmission lines not meeting permitted conditions - regulation 20   C  
Installing, modifying or maintaining a telecommunication device on a transmission line support structure - regulation 21 P    
Installing or modifying a telecommunication device on a transmission line support structure not meeting permitted conditions - regulation 22     RD
Signs attached to transmission line support structures - regulation 23 P    
Signs above the size limit or not attached to a support structure - regulation 24     RD
Preparing for and applying protective coatings to a support structure  - regulation 25 P    
Application of surface coatings not complying with permitted conditions - regulation 26   C  
Wet, dry and non-abrasive blasting - regulation 25 P    
Wet, dry and non-abrasive blasting not complying with permitted conditions  - regulation 26   C  
Wet, dry and non-abrasive blasting not complying with controlled conditions - regulation 27     RD
Discharging contaminants to water - regulation 28 P    
Discharging contaminants to water, not complying with permitted conditions - regulation 29   C  
Trimming, felling or removing trees or vegetation - regulation 30 P    
Trimming, felling or removing trees or vegetation - regulation 31   C  
Trimming, felling or removing trees or vegetation - regulation 32     RD
Earthworks relating to an existing transmission line - regulation 33 P    
Earthworks relating to an existing transmission line not complying with permitted conditions  - regulation 34   C  
Earthworks relating to an existing transmission line  in a historic heritage area unless archaeological authority obtained - regulation 35     RD
Earthworks relating to an existing transmission line  on potentially contaminated land  - regulation 36     RD
Construction noise and vibration associated with transmission activities (noise complies with NZS6803:1999, vibration complies with DIN 4150-3:1999) - regulation 37 P    
Construction noise and vibration associated with transmission activities not complying with permitted conditions - regulation 38   C  
Any transmission activity not described in NES as permitted, controlled, restricted discretionary or non-complying - regulation 39 D – discretionary

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Last updated: 18 January 2010

Helicopter with linemen wiring tower On this 'activities' page:

Summary of the NES

This page links to:

NES in full