New forest planting could start in 2018

THE GOVERNMENT’S ONE BILLION TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME could get under way earlier than envisaged.

When the plan was announced late last year, it was generally recognised that mass planting would not be able to get under way until 2019, because nurseries already had seedlings growing for the 2018 season.

However, Forestry Minister Shane Jones was able to coax his Cabinet colleagues to allow Crown Forestry to enter into new commercial arrangements to plant trees on privately-owned land and to provide $14 million of funding to support the planting of trees this year, as well as for purchasing seedlings for 2019.

Mr Jones says: “Quick action has been required by the government to ensure Crown Forestry can purchase seedlings from nursery stock and get planting during the winter season.

“While there are limited surplus Radiata Pine seedlings available for 2018, discussions with members of the New Zealand Forest Nursery Growers Association have indicated that nurseries have the ability to scale up significantly for the 2019 planting season.”

That means Crown Forestry new planting on suitable land could begin as early as this May, albeit in limited numbers.

“Crown Forestry has the capability and connections with landowners in the regions to get new forestry plantings underway immediately,” says Mr Jones.

“Work is also under way to develop a comprehensive afforestation programme that takes various issues into account, including the supply of labour, improving the Emissions Trading Scheme for forestry and afforestation and incentivising land use.

“This is the first in many milestones in the tree planting programme. As further work is progressed to establish a Forestry Service, I will take proposals back to Cabinet covering the more fundamental considerations on future funding for Crown Forestry, its role and governance structure.”

The Gisborne region is likely to be among the first areas to see new tree planting, with Crown Forestry already in discussions with local land owners to identify suitable sites.

The Forest Owners Association says the Crown Forestry mandate is the best way to start reaching the government’s goal of seeing one billion trees planted over ten years, with 500 million going on new sites.

FOA President, Peter Clark, says he is sure that the government will need to develop and work with other instruments and industry models over time, but it is a good first step for the government to use its own established business unit in Crown Forestry.

Mr Clark says: “Crown Forestry is a Forest Owners Association member. It is an instrument of government policy and has a considerable depth of experience and established relationships with landowners.

“A billion-tree planting programme is a challenge, but it is achievable. Seedling stocks are just about all allocated for planting next winter, so the substantial start to expanding the current national forest estate needs to begin in mid-2019, which will be soon enough.

“I have no doubt plantation nurseries can gear up to producing the 100 million seedlings which will be required each year to meet the government goal. It is good to see the government has realised it needs to provide a substantial budget to enable Crown Forestry to secure seeding supply and make the arrangements on state and private land to get planting.”

Mr Clark says a government focus for assisting forest expansion should be investing in skills training and regional roading infrastructure in particular.

“The government could then get considerable leverage from private sector funding into forestry itself, through a positive operating environment,” he adds.

“This would especially be through making the Emissions Trading Scheme more attractive to participate in.

“The government has made it clear that it will not be buying additional land for forest planting. Afforestation of government land is important, but it will not accommodate a billion trees. Iwi, farmers and other investors, both domestic and overseas, will need to make a contribution, in partnership with the government’s regional and climate change goals. The government can’t do it all by itself.”