Friday, March 29, 2024

Feds like land protection plan

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Federated Farmers has welcomed a commitment from Labour to protect productive farmland from blanket afforestation if it’s re-elected.
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Meat and wool section chairman William Beetham says the pledge by Forestry spokesman Stuart Nash that within six months of being re-elected a Labour government would revise the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry to require forestry blocks larger than 50 hectares on elite soils (land use capability classes 1-5) to get resource consent is a step in the right direction.

“We’re really pleased there is now acknowledgement there’s an issue with large-scale exotic plantings, particularly those grown just for carbon credits, swallowing up land used for food and fibre production. The result of this trend is loss of export income, employment and the undermining of rural district social cohesion.”

However, Beetham questions whether what’s proposed will stop sheep and beef farms on the East Coast, which are more likely to be poorer soils, being taken over by blanket afforestation.

“We’d much rather Labour had taken on board the strong opposition on the topic expressed for many months now by the wider agricultural sector and some environmental non-government organisations and not rushed through policy changes that have led to this issue.

“But it’s a welcome sign Labour is demonstrating a growing commitment to protecting productive farmland for our vital food and fibre industry and backing their own calls for the right tree in the right place.”

Beef + Lamb is more reserved in its reaction, pleased Labour acknowledges the Emissions Trading Scheme has led to conversion of sheep and beef farms into forestry, which needs to be addressed, but questions whether its response it the best way to deal with it.

Chief executive Sam McIvor does not believe the Resource Management Act is the appropriate vehicle.

“Consents can still be approved and will not necessarily restrict conversions.

“We want to work with political parties on what the best policy approach is for limiting wholesale conversion – and for the wider issue of emissions reductions.”

B+LNZ environment policy manager Dylan Muggeridge says issues created by a piece of legislation, in this case the Emissions Trading Reform Bill that was passed last month, should be dealt with by changing that law, not by using another one. B+LNZ’s preferred approach is to limit the amount of offsetting that can be done by planting exotic forestry plantations.

It wants a legal mechanism that would allow the Government to put a limit on the use of forestry offsets.

B+LNZ included that approach in its submission during select committee consultation on the Bill but was unsuccessful in getting it included in the legislation.

McIvor says the way the ETS stands will not achieve a reduction in emissions but will lead to an increase in offsetting.

“Limiting the units available from exotic forestry has to be an integral part of setting emissions caps to avoid industries buying credits instead of reducing emissions. 

B+LNZ is now talking to the independent Climate Change Commission, set up to provide the Government with evidence-based advice to help NZ move to a low-emissions and climate-resilient economy, about more effective ways to reduce emissions, particularly approaches that will reduce negative effects on sheep and beef farms and their rural communities.

The Forest Owners Association is surprised Beetham has supported the Government’s pledge.

President Phil Taylor says Feds has previously strongly supported the right of landowners to make their own decisions about what to do with their own land.

He says many farms contain woodlots, often planted by farmers who realise the long-term farming prospects on marginal country are not good, and they feel more economically secure in planting much of their farm in trees.

Taylor says the Feds’ claims about the economics of afforestation are wrong.

“Per hectare, per year the export returns from forestry are way above the returns from sheep and beef farming. Forestry will save many rural communities.”

“Employment in forestry, from the same area, is also above that from hill-country farming.

“Even before the recent wool-price crash the yearly NZ export return from wool is only one tenth of the return from products made from wood, which is a fibre too.

“This is not the 1960s anymore. Economies change.”

Taylor says it’s unbelievable that Beetham has called for East Coast country with a land use capability rating of six or higher to be considered for restrictions.

“Some of this land can’t support farming any more. Much of it is in severe drought with Niwa predictions for this happening more often.”

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