KEY POINTS:
Record deforestation rates meant Arbour Day yesterday was a grim one for New Zealand, National Party MP Nick Smith said.
"Arbour Day this year is a day of shame for New Zealand because we are felling more trees than we are planting," Dr Smith said.
There was a 13,000ha loss of forest area last year, on top of 11,000ha in 2005 and 5000ha in 2004.
"It is just not credible for [Prime Minister] Helen Clark to be talking of leading the world in sustainability and being carbon neutral when, during her watch, over 7 million trees have been felled and not replanted."
Dr Smith called on the Government to commit to allocating carbon credits for forests planted from today.
"Without this commitment no one will bother planting trees and everyone will be the loser."
Forestry Minister Jim Anderton said the Government was close to finalising further climate change policy which would include incentives for landowners to plant commercial forests.
Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker said the Government's earlier decision to devolve carbon credits to foresters had seen financiers put up $275 million to plant up to 100,000ha of permanent forests.
Credit Suisse and Sustainable Forest Management recently announced the fund to establish permanent forests in New Zealand to earn carbon credits.
Mr Parker said that was an endorsement of the Government's policy of devolving credits for permanent forest sinks.
- NZPA
