Thursday, 18 August 2005
Labour governments bad for new forestry plantings?
United Future forestry spokesman Gordon Copeland said today that United Future's call for a dramatic increase in the
level of forestry plantings is borne out by the history of plantings in New Zealand, especially under Labour
administrations.
"Through the whole period 1920 -2005, forest plantings have crashed almost every time a Labour government has been
elected," he said.
"It is a curious phenomenon going right back to the days of the first Labour government.
"In the early part of the century forest plantings peaked in 1930, and then dropped away significantly during the term
of the first Labour government. The same phenomenon was repeated during the two terms of the Lange-led government and
again under the current Helen Clark-led government.
"The only exception to the rule was the Kirk government.
"By contrast forest plantings boomed under National in the 1970s, the 1980s and again the 1990s.
"Objectively I therefore have to conclude that Labour simply doesn't understand forestry and the current classic example
of that is their inability to use the opportunities provided by the Kyoto Protocol to ignite new plantings by providing
carbon credits.
"The government has, as a result, been badly caught out. It did not expect the planting levels to drop, nor did it
account for any deforestation.
"This is a serious issue and unless Labour can lift its game and lift it significantly, Kyoto could be an unmitigated
disaste, and that's a risk that we must not take.
"Frankly it's time for Labour to get its act together when it comes to expanding the New Zealand forest estate and
carbon sinks through new plantings," said Mr Copeland.
ENDS