Another boost for one billion trees plan
THE GOVERNMENT’S GOAL OF PLANTING MORE TREES TO create sustainable jobs and address climate change is receiving a $240 million boost, doubling the amount of money already committed to the scheme.
As part of the ‘One Billion Trees’ programme, Cabinet has approved the creation of a new grants programme and partnership fund to get more trees in the ground and provide training and employment opportunities.
“We’re allocating $240 million from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) to support tree planting in areas where wider social, environmental, and regional development goals can be achieved,” says Forestry Minister, Shane Jones.
The $240 million commitment to plant some 60 million trees will be funded through the PGF with about $118 million set aside for grants and a further $120 million for partnership projects over three years and comes on top of the $245 million already committed to the ‘One Billion Trees’ project that kick-started the programme.
Mr Jones says: “The Government plays an important role in setting the right conditions for forestry growth and we need to work with everyday New Zealanders because they are the key to achieving our tree planting target over the next ten years.
“We’re strengthening our support for planting over the next threeto-four years in areas where there are currently limited commercial drivers for investment and where wider social, environmental or regional development benefits can be achieved.
“The new grants scheme will provide simple and accessible direct funding to landowners for the cost of planting and establishing trees and regenerating indigenous forest. Private landowners, government agencies, NGOs and iwi will all be able to apply.”
However, the news may not be quite so joyous for those in the plantation forest sector, as it appears that a large chunk of the funding is earmarked for native plantings, not exotics for future harvesting.
Mr Jones says: “These grants will be available from later this year and we’re aiming to encourage the planting of natives, trees for erosion control and environmentally-focused planting – all ensuring we have the right tree in the right place for the right purpose.
“These grants will see an additional 60 million new trees in the ground over the next three years.
“On top of this, a new partnership fund will create an even closer working relationship between Te Uru Rākau (Forestry NZ) and regional councils, NGOs, training organisations, Māori landowners and community groups.
“This approach will allow us to leverage co-funding opportunities and existing know-how and experience.
“We’ll be looking at promoting innovation, securing sufficient labour to get trees in the ground and providing support and advice to landowners on how they can improve land-use.”
The new initiatives will be funded through the PGF with about $118 million set aside for grants and a further $120 million for partnership projects over three years.
This is in addition to the $245m already committed from the PGF to kick-start the programme, which includes funding for joint ventures and the expansion of the Hill Country Erosion programme.