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Fifty Shades of Green with Andy Scott: July 4, 2019

Fifty Shades of Green with Andy Scott: July 4, 2019

Fifty Shades of Green with Andy Scott: July 4, 2019 Fifty Shades of Green with Andy Scott: July 4, 2019, 19.65 MB
Thursday, July 4, 2019

Last year the government announced its plan to plant a billion trees by 2028 as part of offsetting our carbon footprint as a country. As great as that is however, the sudden demand for land on which to plant these trees has had unforeseen effects on NZ farmers. 

Andy Scott is an ex-farmer and now a real estate agent in the Wairarapa. We were put in contact with him by the new lobby group “Fifty Shades of Green” which claim the planting incentives under the Emissions Trading Scheme, combined with changes to the Overseas Investment Act have lead to foreign investors buying up good farmland to plant trees and reap the carbon credits. These plantations tend to be pine rather than native trees, which is problematic becuase of the short life span of pine trees and their impact on our natural environment. 

Scott speaks about the effect of increased land prices on farmers in his region as well as the importance of planting the right trees in the right place.