A specialist carbon forestry fund established by some of the country's biggest emitters has bought its first property.
Drylandcarbon has agreed to buy the 1,600-hectare Te Puna station near Wairoa. About two-thirds of the property – much of it steep and erosion-prone - will be planted in exotics as a permanent carbon sink. About 114 ha will remain as pastoral lease with the balance allowed to regenerate as native forest.
Executive director Ant Beverley said marginal land is ideal for forestry planting, but care is needed to ensure that viable land isn't also taken out of production. Nor does it make sense to plant trees for harvesting where the land is too steep for harvesting or too remote to get logs to processors or ports.
In the case of Te Puna, leasing the pastoral block to the current manager avoided the risk of him and his family being displaced.
"This is a positive outcome which sees land used appropriately, jobs protected within the rural community and the more productive land retained for farming," Beverley said.