Government pushes controversial land-use decisions on to councils

Government pushes controversial land-use decisions on to councils
Councils have been landed with more contentious land-use issues. (Image: Depositphotos)
Ian Llewellyn
The government has confirmed it will give councils more power to block or control the planting of permanent pine forest plantations as ministers wrestle with complex and sometimes contradictory policy impacts.It's the latest move by ministers to try and balance competing priorities around carbon forests, which are planted with the primary purpose of earning carbon credits and not harvested and replanted.The political and policy problem for the government is that planting more forests helps New Zealand meet its carbon budget, but also has ot...

More Primary Sector

Alliance Group on path back to profit
Primary Sector

Alliance Group on path back to profit

It now needs north of $200 million of capital to restore its balance sheet.

Riley Kennedy 23 Apr 2025
Potential Mainland buyers may soon tap regulators
Primary Sector

Potential Mainland buyers may soon tap regulators

Fonterra's divestment process is gaining traction.

Riley Kennedy 17 Apr 2025
TTR files fast-track application to mine Taranaki sand
Primary Sector

TTR files fast-track application to mine Taranaki sand

Seabed mining firm Trans-Tasman Resources has lodged its application to fast-track its project to harvest iron sands off the coast of Taranaki. The firm's parent company, Manuka Resources, told the Australian Securities Exchange (NZX) on Wednesday that the application was lod...

Staff reporters 16 Apr 2025