Legislation introduced to restrict farm-to-forest conversions

The Government has introduced long awaited legislation that will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions – delivering on a key election promise to protect the future of New Zealand food production.

The Government says the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme - Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill will restrict wholesale conversions of farmland to exotic forestry by stopping LUC 1-5 land from entering the ETS and capping new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land.

“It will also protect farmers’ ability to diversify – allowing up to 25 per cent of a farm to go into trees, while stopping the kind of blanket ETS planting that’s been gutting rural communities in places like the East Coast, Wairarapa, the King Country, and Southland