The Green Party will support the forestry sector to store carbon long-term and provide habitats for diverse species. We will ensure that forestry supports and protects the local community, including encouraging a value-added approach to forestry that involves diverse products and services. We will honour the kaitiaki role of tangata whenua and support a kaupapa Māori approach to forestry governance.
Vision
Sustainable and diverse forests benefit local communities and ecosystems.
Values and Principles
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Forestry must uphold Tino rangatiratanga and respect hapū interests. Forestry practices to care for forests and their workers should align with mātauranga Māori.
- Ecological Wisdom: Forestry must protect and regenerate soil, water, and biodiversity. Plantings must be guided by the concepts of ‘right tree in the right place’ and ecosystem restoration.
- Social Responsibility: Forestry must safeguard cultural, spiritual, ecological, and recreational values. The industry must meet the needs of local communities, hapū, workers, and future generations.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Forestry needs to be adaptive and embody kaitiakitanga, recognising deeply uncertain future growth conditions. Decision-makers should involve affected communities.
- Non-Violence: Forestry should be safe and productive for everyone in our forests. This includes protecting the health and safety outcomes for workers and recreational users.
- International Leadership: Collaborative efforts in sustainable forestry are crucial for addressing global issues. Aotearoa New Zealand must influence global forestry practices, including promoting indigenous leadership.
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“...regenerative practices in all areas of economic activity, including land use and food production, will predominate.”
Actions in this policy that work towards this goal include:
- Ensure that the forestry industry is led by Tiriti-based governance. (1.1)
- Develop a biodiversity credits scheme for forestry, including a plan to transition to permanent indigenous forests as an alternative to the ETS. (2.2.2)
- Regulate in partnership with mana whenua for the ‘right tree in the right place’, to minimise damage to ecosystems. (4.1)
- Ensure that more logs are processed domestically than are exported whole. (5.2)
- Ensure that health and safety standards protect forest workers. (5.3)
- Fund and proactively support the work of Te Pou a Tane to implement its National Māori Forestry Strategy 2040. (6.1.2)
Connected Policies
Conservation and restoration of indigenous forests are covered in our Biodiversity and Environmental Regeneration Policy, erosion management in our Land Use and Soils Policy, and wildfires in our Emergency Management Policy. Our Business Policy covers commercial activities more broadly and our Climate Change Policy has more on the Emissions Trading Scheme. See also our policies on the use of forestry products for Energy, Trade and Foreign Investment, and building Housing and Sustainable Communities.
