You may be aware that the government has been working on a Forestry and wood processing Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) which is now being “consulted on”. Ngā Pou a Tāne (NPaT) would like to encourage those of you who are significantly active in the industry to engage with process and provide feedback reflecting your unique perspective.

We recently provided input to the Overseas Investment Act - Forestry Review and have the following update from Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury. 

Representatives from Ngā Pou a Tāne and Te Taumata met with Hon Stuart Nash, Hon James Shaw, and other Ministers in Wellington to discuss withdrawing its proposal to exclude exotics from the Permanent Forests Category in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

In response to our submission on the discussion document ‘Managing Exotic Afforestation Incentives’ we received an update from Hon James Shaw, Minister of Climate Change, and Hon Stuart Nash, Minister of Forestry.

Today’s Opinion piece published in BusinessDesk is by Ngā Pou a Tāne Chair, Te Kapunga Dewes. We encourage Māori landowners and foresters to read this article as we think you will find it an interesting and important point of view.

Māori leaders warn of legal action if the Government goes ahead with a plan to take exotic forests out of the permanent category of the emissions trading scheme.

At the end of March we had our first regional hui in Nelson for the Te Tau Ihu region, the hui was facilitated by our board member Lees Seymour, and Chair Te Kapunga Dewes. Other hui were held in the following regions and towns in April and May.

Representatives from Ngā Pou a Tāne met with Minister of Forestry Stuart Nash, Minister Meka Whaitiri (Zoom), Tamati Coffey – Labour List MP, Jason Wilson – DDG Te Uru Rakau, and senior officials from MPI, Te Uru Rakau and Ministry for the Environment.

Ngā Pou a Tāne, on behalf of its members, submitted it’s official response on the New Zealand Government’s proposals to change forestry settings in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.

Representatives of Ngā Pou a Tāne, Te Taumata, and the Māori Climate Commission met with Minister Shaw (Climate Change) to outline our serious concerns, rushed timeframes and the lack of engagement with Māori as a Treaty parter.

The government, through MPI, released the ‘Managing exotic afforestation incentives’, a discussion document on proposals to change forestry settings in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

This month marked a significant milestone for Māori in Forestry with the establishment of the first National Māori Forestry Association – Ngā Pou a Tāne.