SOE wields deforestation chainsaw
Green Media Release 11-6-08
The Green Party is calling on the Government to admit to being a major on-the-ground player in the worst deforestation
in New Zealand's modern history.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's (MAF) National Exotic Forest Description Annual Report shows the loss of
13,600 hectares of forest last year, which is the largest deforestation in 50 years. On Radio NZ Morning Report today
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Jim Anderton admitted most deforestation was caused by dairying and he defended the
deforestation practice.
"What the minister should be focussing on is the government enterprise Landcorp being one of the worst offenders," party
Co-Leader Russel Norman said.
"The chainsaw massacre has got worse in the last four years, with Landcorp a major player. A Landcorp partnership (the
Wairakei Estate) is converting 25,000 hectares of pine plantations north of Taupo into dairy and drystock farming. Up to
20 industrial dairy units will eventually carry 30,000 cows (1).
"But we suspect government projects may have caused even more than this deforestation, especially if native scrub and
bush-lots are added.
"We are trying to get the total number of hectares Landcorp is clearing around New Zealand and I would call on Mr
Anderton to provide those figures today."
Such conversions marked a potential "triple whammy" on the environment as it destroyed carbon sinks and replaced them
with dairy farming, which was one of the most greenhouse gas intensive forms of land use. Also Landcorp had a bad record
of polluting streams and rivers as was evident with its cows in the Manawatu River, Dr Norman said.
"This morning, Mr Anderton called Morning Report co-host Sean Plunket `silly' for suggesting the Government was putting
"bucks and business" ahead of the environment and the planet.," Dr Norman said. "But that's exactly what Mr Anderton and
his colleagues are doing. They're sacrificing our grandchildren's future and our clean and green brand for short-term
bucks."
(1) See: http://www.ew.govt.nz/newsandevents/agendas/documents/env1126620.pdf
http://www.ruralnews.co.nz/Default.asp?task=article=show=1449 4& pageno=1
ENDS