About 3000 kiwifruit orchards in the region will be registered on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) database.
HAIL was created by the Ministry for the Environment and included 53 activities and industries that could potentially cause soil contamination.
Project implementation officer Reece Irving said registration did not mean land was contaminated.
"The implication for kiwifruit orchard owners is that if there is a future change in land use, such as converting the orchard into a residential subdivision, the site will have to be investigated and soil samples may need to be tested," he said.
"At the time of a change in use the landowner will have to prove the site soils are suitable for the proposed new use, and will not cause any adverse effects on human health or the environment. As long as the orchard remains in production landowners are not required to undertake any site investigation or soil testing. This only needs to be done if the use changes."