Government drags its feet on Māori foresters

ONE IN FOUR HECTARES OF farmland operated by Māori is now in forestry, making forest interests one of the most significant economic and environmental issues for Tangata Whenua.

A group of Māori forestry specialists met recently in Rotorua to develop the forestry practice which will be key to unlocking more than $16 billion in value for the Māori economy.

The group, brought together by Te Taumata (Māori Forestry Landowners) and funded exclusively by Māori forestry interests, is working to establish a best-practice model for permanent transitional forest management.

Te Taumata Chair, Chris Karamea Insley, says, despite promising to act in partnership with Māori in a hui led by the late Sir Dr Toby Curtis on the development of the best practice model, the Government has been dragging its feet.

Mr Insley says despite reaching an agreement with Ministers Stuart Nash and James Shaw at the specially convened hui in Wellington in June last year to establish and fund a technical working group in partnership, the Government has since stonewalled any attempts to make progress.

“In the end, Māori have decided this is far too important an issue to play political games, and we have convened and funded our own group to undertake this work for the benefit of Māori,” he says.

“As a result of colonialism, confiscations and the land made available in treaty settlements, Māori also own some of the poorest land in the country – with 20% covered in bush and scrub, compared to 8% on the average New Zealand farm,” he adds.

“However, this land is more suitable for the needs of transitional forestry, which generally targets property in Land Use Class 6 and above. It is estimated that Māori have between 700,000 and 1,200,000 ha of land suitable for transitional forestry.

“We owe it to the late Sir Dr Toby Curtis and indeed our mokopuna to take action for the good of Māori and the benefit of all Aotearoa. We look forward to this technical working group being the first stage of an indigenous-led movement for self-determined climate action.”