1 July 2013
The adoption of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard shows that a national environmental standard is possible and the government should advance one urgently, the Green Party said today.
The Forestry Stewardship Council has just endorsed New Zealand's first national forest stewardship standard which covers 60% of New Zealand's plantation forests.
"In the absence of a national environmental standard, this international endorsement of New Zealand's first national FSC standard is heartening," said Green Party forestry spokesperson Steffan Browning.
"The National Government has put on hold the development of a national environmental standard for plantation forestry leaving massive land disturbance, sedimentation and biodiversity losses to carry on unchecked," said Mr Browning.
"This government shelving of a New Zealand wide standard leaves our environment to the mercy of weak council plans and private standards that are yet to be monitored effectively.
"All of the interested parties came together to work on developing this FSC standard, and they succeeded. The government should work with this goodwill to develop a national environmental standard that would cover all of our forests.
"Forestry is a hugely important sector to New Zealand's economy; we need to have a national standard to ensure we protect our brand as responsible producers of high quality fibre.
"The government needs to do their job and finish a national environmental standard that will lead to better environmental outcomes for all forestry in New Zealand."
Source: Green Party media release
Established plantations of pine, macrocarpa and Douglas-fir over 40 hectares now co-exist with carefully positioned ornamental trees on the long and narrow property running 16 kilometres from the highway to the sea.
Often circling the plantations are lusitanicus and cypress that will remain standing when timber trees are harvested.
Another 30 ha of native bush is protected by QE11 covenant and the couple have fenced from stock about 100 ha in gullies for their personal pleasure.
Charles Wiffen said the trees had been planted at the 1400 ha farm as much for providing a pleasant working landscape as for shelter and shade for stock. He said they had made a point of planting oaks, poplars and cypress for variety.
The Wiffens, who also run a Blenheim vineyard and manage the Charles Wiffen label, have been at Inverness for 48 years with Charles' father first running the farm. Elms, maples and "every oak you could think of" now line the property.
Farm Forestry Association award judge Neil Cullen, Balclutha, said the trees were an example of good land use.
Many of the "awkward" corners and gullies had been planted in small tree blocks, shelter belts and ornamental trees to provide shade and shelter appreciated by stock this dry summer, he said.
"I was impressed with the way they have managed the property as far as land use goes. It's a long, stretched out property 16km to the ocean and although there is only 40 ha of tree blocks in 1400 ha a lot of the property isn't suitable for forestry because of access problems."
Wiffen said he was a farmer first and a forester second, but he had always appreciated trees for the qualities they brought to a farm.
Story by Tim Cronshaw, © Fairfax NZ News. To read the full story, click here.