50SOG posted
Interesting reading comments like these. “Jones said farmers resented rules being tightened regarding the purchase of land by foreigners.” Ah, we beg to differ, the conditions that overseas investors need to meet to gain OIO approval are LESS stringent. That’s why we are seeing the sale of productive food producing land being sold to forestry investors.
Followers insights
- LESS stringent if they want to plant trees…so there is the incentive right there. And for national party to endorse the zero carbon bill and only worry about the methane targets shows they are missing the point. Which is that land owners, ordinary nz farmers, can’t plant trees to mitigate methane. Trees can only mitigate carbon…so that is property rights theft as well as subsidies for forestry as well as asking for a billion unforseen consequences to our rural communities.
50SOG posted:
Shane is once again missing the point.
Followers insights
- Read that bro, 7% of the pastoral land in Wairoa district gone into trees, that’s disgraceful
- Yeah it’s bloody depressing. The real depressing thing is driving up the east coast and seeing what use to be a thriving community until trees took over. It’s criminal.
- I did have a chuckle at the bit where he said the government is absolutely not funding whole farm planting of forestry, we limit it to 300HA, well our farm is 250HA so that doesn’t quite add up!
50SOG posted:
We heard this. Yes, heard this. “To achieve our goals a sustained land use change is also needed with better integration of trees into farming landscapes” Into farming landscapes? We think Jacinda means taking over farming landscapes.
Followers insights.
- Jacinda Adern for making it near impossible for young farmers to even get a foot on the market.. Were now competing against your tree policy.
- We also forget how toxic pines are to aquatic life and how destructive the slash is to the environment. It is so shortsighted to plant so many of one species and get things so out of balance. Small communities are being destroyed with this policy
50SOG posted:
Lest we forget
Followers insights
- Hardly marginal or slipping land there – criminal!
- You can’t eat trees….pines are being planted on flat land. Study’s show that cropping flat land for 25yrs has the same carbon impact as a pine tree plantation (without the ongoing deep rooted decimation of tree stumps)!
- The short sightedness is incredible.
50SOG posted:
Right on the minister’s backyard. What was a beautiful big station that is to be planted out in pines.
Followers insights
- Why don’t these people even try to understand the carbon cycle and the role of balanced pastures, animals, soil microbial and soil mineralisation of carbon. Take a look at the palm plantations in Malaysia if in doubt.
- On setting up our Page
Followers insights
- NZers need to know why Billion trees will be an economic and social disaster for NZ. We grow food better than most. Trees are for marginal land but when planting is subsidised we are loosing good pastural land to a loss of income for 30 years, destroying rural communities
- These guys are building a platform for public support,and we need this badly if we are to have any chance of defending hill country farming from a shortsighted, unscientific political agenda.
- ‘Last one out shut the door’! This will be the reality in farming communities…I certainly support this group in getting NZ’ers to realise….that once the pines are in its too late!
- Thank you very much for sending info on lobby group they have my total support. This is only my views, but this present government have me very – very concerned for the future of our country…..Then we have our wonderful producers from farmers, to those that grow the crops to feed a nation, who are also paying the price and are becoming very disillusioned with all the lies that are coming out of the mouths of these miss – informed ideologists. Trees can be environmentally toxic and simply reduce our ability to not only feed a nation but the millions we help feed around the world
It’s not just the loss of food producing land, but also the loss of sunlight and warmth to surrounding home and landowners, and the increase of large amounts of pollen in the air. Deadly to allergy and asthma sufferers.
The Government called it a wellbeing budget, but it’s more likely to further erode the wellbeing of many who live here.
With immigration rules, it’s not easy to walk away and settle somewhere healthier.
Yes it is criminal and disturbing to see a bunch of ideologist straight from school to university and then in to politic, out of touch due to lack of any real life experience come up with policies which will threaten the survival of this country. We have to eat and we should be proud of being a great food producing country! I have seen first hand what pine trees do to water quality. After a heavy rain event a few years back the streams surrounding my house were filled up with logs and pruning s from the pine plantation above. The water turned red and a man from the council told me the streams would be dead for ten years! It has proven to be true. Where before plenty of crayfish , small fish and eels lived there is nothing, when there is actually any water at all. We have had to change our water supply which has been there for more than a hundred years because the streams now dry out in summer due to the trees. During the drought this year we had to turn the irrigation water in to the water lines to get enough water for our cows and houses. On top of that we have spend thousands of dollars cleaning up after slips from the forest have destroyed fences, races and paddocks. Forestry is not liable for any damage since it is looked upon as a natural event! There is nothing natural about it. It is someones farming practices that are doing it. I also understand the people feeling forced to sell because they are already surrounded by forestry. The forests bordering my farm on steep hill country are due to be logged and during one of the discussions it was suggested to me that I might as well plant my hole farm in trees. That was the future. We are talking about highly productive dairy country!! Since the logging rights to one of the blocks has been sold to a guy from Ukraine, who lives in Australia, I will not be surprised if someone turns up offering to buy me out. Sad and disturbing.
In regard to the comment on farm sales. Yes it is up to farmers. Anecdotally, we have had more than the odd comment about feeling the had no option as they were already surrounded by trees.