Editorial: Time for a reset
OPINION: The Government's recent announcement that methane targets will be reviewed is bringing relief to farmers.
A new lobby group is calling for an immediate halt to the government’s plans to plant a billon trees, saying it will damage the environment and harm New Zealand’s rural economy.
Mike Butterick, speaking for 50 Shades of Green, told Rural News it wants the government to stop planting trees on good farmland immediately and fully assess the long term effect of the policy.
It also wants the government to halt all Overseas Investment Office (OIO) applications for forestry until an assessment is made.
“The government changed the rules to make it relatively easy for overseas investors to buy up productive farmland and plant it in trees,” he explains
“We are not beating up forestry. It is really the environment being created by the policy settings which we believe... are creating something that wasn’t intended.
“The other worrying thing is the great speed at which this is happening.”
Butterick does not know how many productive farms have already been converted to forestry. However, he says in Wairarapa alone up to 8000ha on seven farms have moved from productive farmland to forest.
Rural News has also been told of at least two farms near Gisborne recently planted in pine trees.
“It doesn’t feel good and it isn’t right,” Butterick said.
He says polices sometimes don’t deliver the intended outcome and in that case policy makers should “stop and go back to the drawing board”.
So it is when pine trees are planted on highly productive farmland, he says.
“You can’t eat wood. Taking those farms out of production will have a devastating effect economically, socially and environmentally on the local community. Instead of revitalising the provinces, tree planting will destroy them.”
The Commerce Commission says connectivity options for rural New Zealanders are front-of-mind as it begins a formal investigation into the future of the copper network.
Grand Finalists have been selected, all regional finals have concluded, and the journey towards the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is underway.
Hopes of NZ sheepmeat prices picking up anytime soon in the country's key export market of China looks highly unlikely.
Regional councils are welcoming the certainty for councils in today’s Resource Management Act (RMA) announcement by the Government.
ASB says the decision to sign on to the AgriZeroNZ joint venture came out of a wish to be a part of the solution.
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
OPINION: This old mutt understands that NZ Post will soon no longer be delivering to rural addresses on Saturdays.
OPINION: Your old mate notes that research on the make-up of the new parliament shows it is now far more…