Friday, 03 July 2020 13:50

Resource consent to convert productive farmland

Written by  Staff Reporters
Labour Party Forestry spokesperson Stuart Nash. Labour Party Forestry spokesperson Stuart Nash.

If elected next term, Labour says it will require resource consent for any conversion of highly productive farmland into forestry.

Labour Party Forestry spokesperson Stuart Nash said food producing soil will take priority over planting trees to meet climate change challenges.

“Within the first six months of the next term of government, we will revise the National Environment Standards for Plantation Forestry to enable councils to once again determine what classes of land can be used for plantation and carbon forests.” 

“Resource consent would be required for plantation or carbon forests on Land Use Capability Classes 1-5 – often known as elite soils – above a threshold of 50 hectares per farm to allow farmers flexibility in creating small plantations to support environmental goals,” said Nash.

Labour Party rural communities spokesperson Kieran McAnulty says 90% of forestry planting for ETS purpose happens on less productive soils in classes 6-8.

McAnulty says Labour wants to ensure all planting happens away from valuable soils in classes 1-5.

“Forestry is not bad: we need the right tree in the right place, but we also need the right mechanism to ensure this,” said McAnulty.

New Zealand has approximately 12.1 million hectares in farmland and 1.7m in forestry.

Labour says 22,000 hectares of farmland was converted to forestry in 2019, a figure conflicting with Beef + Lamb New Zealand, who claim about 70,000 hectares of productive sheep and beef land has been converted to forestry since 2019.

More like this

We're all in it together!

OPINION: Hill Country farmers and foresters have common concerns about regulations and climate change.

Make forestry sector accountable!

OPINION: Towns and cities downstream of large forestry blocks are at high risk of infrastructure damage – costing billions – when major flooding occurs.

Seed banking alone not enough

New research led by a University of Canterbury academic has identified that conventional seed banking alone isn’t enough to conserve all of New Zealand’s endemic plants.

Forestry regs overdue - Feds

Federated Farmers forestry spokesperson Toby Williams says that changes to forestry rules announced yesterday will put power back into the hands of local communities.

Forestry regulations updated

New national standards will give local councils more power to decide where new commercial forests – including carbon forests – are located, to reduce the impacts on communities and the environment, says Environment Minister David Parker.

Featured

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

Editorial: Passage to India

OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter