Friday, March 29, 2024

Report affects whole nation

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A report on threats to Pukekohe’s market gardens has implication for the whole country and should raise eyebrows, Federated Farmers president Katie Milne says.
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The findings of the Deloitte report commissioned by Horticulture New Zealand are a valuable took in the fight to NZ to maintain the ability to feed itself.

It found urban sprawl is threatening th swamp the fertile soils but regional council land use restrictions mean the growers have nowhere else to go.

“Aucklanders are going to have to give up on their quarter acre backyard property dreams and vote in councils with the ability to town plan for future food demand,” Milne said.

“Auckland needs to grow up, not out.”

Points from the report should raise eyebrows.

They included that b y 2050 the demand for fruit and vegetables will increase by 90% and significantly exceed estimated population growth of 30% and that between 2002 and 2016 there was a 30% reduction in vegetable growing land throughout NZ.

And though Pukekohe accounts for just 3.8% of the country’s land in fruit and vegetable production it contributes 26% of the nation’s value of production of vegetables.

“This whole report feels a bit like back to the future.

“We used to have things like the Soil Preservation Act and the Town and Country Planning Act to look at these issues.

“Problems like high land values and the lack of appropriate rating policies mean these special areas, like Pukekohe, are now seriously under threat.

“We would encourage the Government to start moves to identify and protect the nation’s growing hubs around urban centres. 

“Fertile and productive soils are valuable and deserve to be protected.

“Once we lose them under asphalt and concrete we will not get them back,” Milne said.

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