Forest owners welcome Key comments; need certainty from govt
The Kyoto Forestry Association (KFA) has welcomed Opposition Leader John Key’s restatement yesterday that post-1990 Kyoto forest owners would receive at least some carbon credits under a National-led Government, but says the Government’s failure to answer basic questions about its policy intentions confirms that 2007 will become the worst-ever tree-planting season in New Zealand.
“Mr Key, with his business background, clearly understands the importance of investor confidence in business decisions,†KFA spokesman Roger Dickie said today. “He understands that the people most likely to plant trees in the future are those who have invested in the industry in the past, and that their confidence to make 30-year investment decisions going forward depends on them having confidence that government commitments will be respected over time. It is therefore pleasing to see National moving to reverse the Government’s 2002 decision to confiscate the carbon credits previously promised to forest owners.â€Â
Mr Dickie said that while there were ongoing positive signals from the Opposition, the Government’s silence over whether or not even trees planted this year would earn credits was further holding back investment decisions, and compounding New Zealand’s deforestation crisis.
“Despite numerous approaches, no official can even tell us whether or not even trees planted this year would earn carbon credits under the Government’s proposals – despite Forestry Minister Jim Anderton previously indicating that 2007 trees would quality,†Mr Dickie said. “At least three businesses we know of were planning to resume limited planting this year but, with government officials now refusing to answer questions about the carbon-credit status of those new trees, everyone is getting cold feet.
“New Zealand has already suffered several years of low planting because of the Government’s inability to develop a fair, acceptable Kyoto policy. It seems irresponsible in the extreme – although perhaps not unexpected given this Government’s record on Kyoto – to again leave uncertainty out there, undermining the 2007 season.â€Â
“Mr Key, with his business background, clearly understands the importance of investor confidence in business decisions,†KFA spokesman Roger Dickie said today. “He understands that the people most likely to plant trees in the future are those who have invested in the industry in the past, and that their confidence to make 30-year investment decisions going forward depends on them having confidence that government commitments will be respected over time. It is therefore pleasing to see National moving to reverse the Government’s 2002 decision to confiscate the carbon credits previously promised to forest owners.â€Â
Mr Dickie said that while there were ongoing positive signals from the Opposition, the Government’s silence over whether or not even trees planted this year would earn credits was further holding back investment decisions, and compounding New Zealand’s deforestation crisis.
“Despite numerous approaches, no official can even tell us whether or not even trees planted this year would earn carbon credits under the Government’s proposals – despite Forestry Minister Jim Anderton previously indicating that 2007 trees would quality,†Mr Dickie said. “At least three businesses we know of were planning to resume limited planting this year but, with government officials now refusing to answer questions about the carbon-credit status of those new trees, everyone is getting cold feet.
“New Zealand has already suffered several years of low planting because of the Government’s inability to develop a fair, acceptable Kyoto policy. It seems irresponsible in the extreme – although perhaps not unexpected given this Government’s record on Kyoto – to again leave uncertainty out there, undermining the 2007 season.â€Â