One billion tree programme under way

Shane Jones said almost 7.3 million trees will be planted this year through various Ministry for Primary Industries schemes. Photo/File

The Government's ambitious 1 billion trees scheme is under way with the first areas of land committed for winter planting, Forestry Minister Shane Jones said today.

Jones made the announcement during the official launch of the Provincial Growth Fund in Gisborne.

He said almost 7.3 million trees would be planted this year through various Ministry for Primary Industries schemes – about half of which will be indigenous species.

"Planting will include both exotics and natives. We want to enable planting of a mix of permanent and harvestable forestry, using both exotic and native tree species on private, public and Maori-owned land. Species include radiata pine, red wood, totara, eucalyptus, Douglas fir and manuka.

"We have a strong base to build on, with the commercial forestry sector projected to plant half a billion trees in the next 10 years," he said.

Jones said the Government will announce where trees will be planted in the coming months.

"We're already seeing private landowners, government agencies, NGOs, iwi, regional councils, nurseries and the private sector working hard to plant the other half a billion.

Jones said planting would be lower in the initial years due to natural seedling and land constraints, but would then ramp up quickly.

"Policies are being developed to avoid unintended environmental or economic outcomes, land is being secured, seedlings are being grown, private investment is being stimulated and infrastructure is being developed.

"All of this combined will see us go from 55 million trees this year, to 70 million in 2019, to 90 million in 2020. From there we will be aiming for 110 million a year over the next seven years of the programme."

The Government was finalising an agreement with Landcorp to plant 1 million trees this winter and another million trees next year.

"Landcorp are progressive land managers and have long seen the commercial and environmental benefits of forestry, with 10,000 hectares planted already."

The Government also announced applications were open for the Afforestation Grants Scheme which provided $1300 of Government funding per hectare for new forests between five and 300 hectares.

"I encourage landowners thinking about forestry to apply for grants through the AGS and we want to exhaust the full $6.5 million of available funding."