Of course, deeper-rooting species such as redwoods, poplars and cypress would offer more protection, but it’s harder to justify the costs of planting and managing trees with long rotations.
If there was an easy way to fund a mixture of conservation forests with high production values, everyone would do it.
Thirdly, this Government has already largely halted the wide-scale conversion of farms to pines by promising to restrict the amount of class 1 to 6 land that can be registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Projected new planting for the 2025 season is currently estimated to be less than 10,000 hectares.
Finally, as Ewan notes, one of the best ways for farmers to secure the future of their farming operation is to incorporate mosaic planting of the less productive parts of their farm in a mixture of high-value timber species. This will protect waterways and erodible faces, make stock management easier, and provide another income stream for the farm. The Emissions Trading Scheme can help finance that establishment work.
Neil Cullen, NZFFA president
Others maintain roads year-round
I was very disappointed to read in this paper on Thursday, September 5, a statement from our council with regard to maintaining our roadways (Spring kicks off pothole repair programme).
The council journeys infrastructure manager would seem to think that we can continue to run for months on sub-standard roadways and then be grateful for spring’s arrival so that he can start work.
May I point out that the weather in Gisborne is not unique. Other regions and indeed countries have bad weather in all seasons other than spring, yet manage to maintain roading.
It would seem to me that a mea culpa on badly managed roading assets would have been a better use of your column inches.
Peter Beck
Assisting military goals
Re: Next rocket later this month, September 6 story.
Rocket Lab is launching technology for Kineis, a company based in France which develops satellite connectivity systems “specifically designed to meet security and defence needs”.
The company works with the French military (yes, the state-sponsored terrorist organisation employing the DGSE agents that bombed the peaceful protestors in Auckland harbour in 1985).
Kineis promotional material for an arms show in Paris last year says: “The goal is to offer comprehensive, sovereign and resilient solutions to tackle strategic challenges in high-intensity conflict scenarios.”
In 2022 the French ambassador to Haiti at the time told the New York Times how the French military conspired with the US administration to overthrow Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first democratically elected president of Haiti, in 2004 after he had called on France to repay US$21 billion that was expropriated from the country as the Haiti Independence Debt.
This is the kind of operation Kineis technology launched from Māhia will be assisting in its commitment to work with the Renseignement d’Interet Spatial and “stand alongside the [French] Space Command (CDE)”.
Manu Caddie
Milk replacement on way
Precision fermentation as a new industry is due to arrive in 2025.
Milk made by altering yeast and fermentation will destroy our dairy products industry. Now is the time to alter our farming, before our lands return to customary title in a worthless condition.
Ian Gaskin, Waikaremoana
Cuba a basket case
Re: Wealth of a country in good health, September 6 letter.
Interesting you never made this suggestion when the previous government was butchering New Zealand’s health system ... last I looked, Cuba was in complete crisis, rivalling Venezuela for basket case of the Americas. Perhaps you see parallels with the state the previous government left this country in.
Iain Boyle
