Labour MPs consult on carbon farming
Purchase of farmland in Tararua has meant loss of valuable pastoral production
Avisit to Dannevirke from Stuart Nash, Minister for Police, Revenue, Small Business, Fisheries and previous Labour spokesperson for Forestry, and Labour List MP Kieran McAnulty on Friday, June 26, was to both inform and consult with the Tararua District Council on the issue of Carbon Farming.
Recent changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) through the Zero Carbon Bill have accentuated major concerns for farming communities, already raised by the original scheme started in 2008 where the Government gives eligible foresters units for carbon dioxide that is absorbed by their trees which can be purchased by businesses as a way of mitigating their creation of carbon through their operations.
This has led to the widespread purchase of farmland in the Tararua and the loss of valuable pastoral production with the potential to destroy communities, reduce food production and affect biodiversity.
These concerns have been highlighted to government particularly through the proactive work of the Tararua District Council which provided valuable statistical and geographic data during the public consultation before the latest changes to the ETS.
McAnulty has spearheaded this concern and came on Friday, June 26, with Nash, who is also Minister for Revenue, Small Business, Fisheries and previous Labour spokesperson for Forestry, and has a Masters Degree in Forestry Science and forestry industry experience.
They were here to allay fears and seek information on the ways to mitigate the effects of the legislation with a view of introducing new policy should a Labour-led Government return to power in September.
Nash was firstly keen to emphasise that the Government supports the ETS as a means of reducing greenhouse gases and consequently global warming. He said the planting of pines which absorb carbon as they grow is a good way of reducing global warming with the added benefit of reducing deposition of silt into coastal regions.
However, he and the Government were concerned at the rate at which quality farmland was being lost and announced a determination that only the steepest land (Classes 6-8) should be planted. He said across New Zealand 90 per cent of planting has so far been on this land.
Nash said the coalition had refused to back legislation to this effect and the Government saw placing the future in the hands of local communities which could then manage the afforestation was the best solution.
He said local bodies could require that planting on classes 1-5 (higher quality) be consented through the Resource Management Act (RMA) and he discussed the concept with Tararua staff and councillors to get feed-back on its feasibility. The Government would however ensure that any decisions will only be made after wide consultation during 2021.
Council noted that there is a lack of regulatory controls and direction is needed for national consistency but supports the ability to have a local flavour. They advised the concern that a policy change may result in a rush to buy and convert land even faster than before.
McAnulty said local bodies could also have some say on the planting of pines with respect to infrastructure like roads, reticulation schemes, potential wind farm sites, fire breaks and communities. Property rights of owners also need to be carefully considered.
He said some regulations control plantation forest production already but these refer to managed forests designed for harvest whereas some carbon forests being currently planted have no such objective.