Hazardous chemicals: are you ready for the new compliance rules?
April 24, 2025
Do you import or manufacture hazardous substances?
If you’re in the manufacturing or agricultural sectors, or run a business that uses hazardous chemicals in your operations, there are new compliance rules you should be aware of.
New rules for hazardous substances from 1 January 2025
If you import or manufacture certain hazardous substances, there are new reporting requirements from the [Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)]) - click here to view these.
The affected substances include:
- Agrichemicals.
- Timber treatment chemicals.
- Anti-sapstain chemicals.
- Antifouling paints.
- Parasiticides used as veterinary medicines in large animals.
From 1 January 2025, you need to keep records of which hazardous substances you’re importing or manufacturing, before submitting your annual report in 2026. There are more details on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.
Additional new rules for hazardous chemicals from 2026.
Further changes around record-keeping for hazardous chemicals will come into effect on 1 January 2026. You can find more details in this note from the EPA.
All importers and manufacturers must provide:
- A New Zealand Business Number (if you have one).
- The HSNO or group standard approval number for all hazardous substances you’re importing and/or manufacturing.
Importers and manufacturers of certain hazardous substances will also be required to provide:
- An annual report on the total quantity (kgs) of active ingredients imported or manufactured in the previous calendar year.
- Manufacturers of explosives must provide the same information that’s already required from importers of explosives.
Get your hazardous substances reporting under control
If you’ve not updated your record-keeping and reporting around hazardous substances yet, it’s important to take action as soon as possible.
Talk to the team about reviewing your usage of the affected chemicals and substances and how we can help you get your reporting up to speed with the new rules.
For employers Christmas is a time to ensure you’re on top of your obligations around holiday pay.
Here’s a quick guide to help small business owners across Aotearoa stay compliant and stress-free over the break.
The run-up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for many Kiwi businesses. Whether you’re wrapping up projects, closing the books, or managing stock and customers before a summer break, it can be a time of high pressure and high pace. Add in social functions, school holidays, and year-end fatigue, and it’s easy for stress and burnout to creep in. As an employer, you play a key role in supporting your team’s wellbeing. Investing in mental health isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business.
Growth is exciting, and with the right planning, it can be a turning point for your business. Here are four key questions to ask yourself before scaling up.
At BFA, we’re proud to support local students through the Gateway Programme – a fantastic initiative that helps young people gain real-world experience in industries they’re curious about.
How are you feeling about your business right now? Are you on solid financial footing, or taking a more cautious approach? Is demand steady, growing, or unpredictable?
A strong credit profile is the foundation of your business’s financial health. This blog looks at why it's important, and how you can build and protect a good score.
A core initiative for Kiwi businesses, Investment Boost is a new tax incentive to encourage investment in assets to increase productivity.
We were fortunate to have Mark Lister from Craigs Investment Partners as our guest presenter at a recent event co-presented by BFA and Craig's Investment Partners.
At BFA, our passion for numbers is matched only by our commitment to community, wellbeing, and having fun together. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to so far in 2025.
We love celebrating our clients success stories, and were delighted to read about our clients John and Kellie Penny's daughter Charlotte who was recently crowned Eventer of the Year.
