NZ Dryland Forests Initiative proposes plan to plant 100,000 durable eucalypt trees

The NZ Dryland Forests Initiative (NZDFI) has just released a Consultation Paper as a first step towards developing a regionally based strategic plan for government and private sector collaboration to plant 100,000 hectares of durable eucalypt trees in NZ’s east coast regions as a part of the Government’s One Billion Trees programme.

The consultation paper: “Durable eucalypt forests: a multi-regional opportunity for investment in NZ drylands” outlines the case for durable eucalypts in east coast regions. The trees are considered an exciting alternative to traditional agriculture and radiata pine forestry.

NZDFI proposes these eucalypt forests and woodlots will be established in New Zealand’s east coast regions by 2030. These could generate an estimated $2 billion in annual sales of naturally durable timber products by 2050. Regional development and employment could be generated through local processing to produce high value export products that are a sustainable alternative to unsustainably logged tropical hardwoods.

Read the full media release here

People are being asked to respond to the consultation paper by March 31st 2018, either by emailing Paul Millen, NZDFI programme manager (p.millen@xtra.co.nz  ) or by completing an on-line questionnaire.