Land Information New Zealand confirmed yesterday the Overseas Investment Office has approved applications for the sale of East Coast stations Huiarua and Matanui to be used for forestry. Source: Gisborne Herald
The OIO applications for the sale of the farms inland from Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay were lodged earlier this year and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information NZ has had the applications under “active consideration” for months.
Federated Farmers set up a petition against the sales and it received nearly 9000 signatures.
“We can confirm that consent has been granted for the purchase of about 6000 hectares of farmland on the East Coast for conversion to forestry,” said Rebecca McAtamney, the head of regulatory practice for Toitū Te Whenua.
“The farmland is split between two stations — Huiarua and Matanui — and the sale has been approved after meeting the requirements of the special forestry test consent pathway.
“A decision summary will be released publicly once it is appropriate to do so,” she said. “The planned release date is August 31 although this may be brought forward due to public interest if the minister approves it.”
Ms McAtamney said because consent had been granted under the special forestry test, the land must be used for forestry activities.
Activities allowed are maintaining, harvesting and/or establishing a crop of trees for the purpose of plantation forestry.
“The consent explicitly excludes permanent forestry.
“Details around when conversion will start on the properties will be available in the decision summary, which will be released publicly once it is appropriate to do so. The date of release is yet to be confirmed.
“This decision went nine days over the statutory timeframe for this application due to the complexity, including consideration of a total of 40 third party submissions and consultations with other government agencies,” Ms McAtamney said.
“Overseas investment applications received, or transactions entered into, before the Overseas Investment (Forestry) Amendment Bill comes into force need to be considered under the existing law. In this case, the applicable law is the special forestry test.”
East Coast farmer Graeme Williams, a neighbour of Huiarua Station, said those concerned about the farms going to forestry were all aware the OIO, under the current special forestry test and law, had no choice other than to allow the sale.
“Our issue is that the law that has allowed this to happen is what needs changing,” Mr Williams said.
Government ministers and the Prime Minister had publicly said land of this calibre should not go into trees, “yet they are hiding behind a law that they could change overnight”, he said.
“The irony of this is that Jacinda Ardern on her recent tour to the US was holding up New Zealand beef and lamb and skiting to the world about what we produce, and that possibly includes produce off Huiarua and Matanui.
“The hypocrisy of her doing so while allowing her government to destroy the very farms, communities and regions this world-leading produce is produced on is inexcusable at every level.
“It is insanity given the global picture, and Jacinda and her government have the power to stop it.
“Despite what they say, the reality is that they just don’t care about the people of the East Coast and other similar rural areas.
“What they are doing is the complete opposite of what they are spouting about — protecting the people, the land and society in general.”
Mr Williams said anyone who thought sales like these would be for the long-term benefit of current and future generations had obviously never lived in functioning harmonious communities like those of the East Coast.
“It is social and commercial suicide to the regions and ultimately the country.”
Federated Farmers provincial president Toby Williams said the news was “devastating for the East Coast”.
“The decision is not unexpected. As soon as it was applied for under the special forestry test we knew that there was next to no chance of the farms being saved.
“We ran a strong campaign and were overwhelmed with the response to our petition.
“Our only hope rested with the ministers or to offer proof around our belief that this farmland was only being purchased for carbon. Clearly we have been unable to achieve either.
“This government will bat the criticism away, saying they are changing the law so farms like these are less likely to go in the future.
“This is true but the changes they are making are still not strong enough.
“Someone wanting to purchase farmland to continue farming and producing food will still be at a massive disadvantage to someone who wants to plant weeds and take profits offshore,” he said.
“Offshore ownership of forests has had a devastating impact on our rural communities and our environment.
“The owners put their profits before anything else. The slash issues up the Coast are a case in point.”
Toby Williams said if the forestry owners actually cared they would not let the managers and contractors use the poor practices that enabled the recent devastation experienced.
“There are not enough jobs associated with forestry in our region to justify more forestry. Stats NZ statistics on the full-time equivalent jobs for our region shows agriculture and agricultural services as the numbers two and three employers in our region.
“Forestry does not even rank in the top 10.”
The Government announced earlier this year that it was putting forward changes to the Overseas Investment Act 2005 that mean “benefit to New Zealand” will one day be the test for forestry conversion by overseas investors.
