Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in forestry conversions after a rural backlash.
He has also warned foreign-owned forestry companies – which make up nearly 75 percent of the industry – that unless they provide more access for local processors to get timber they could face an “oil and gas” style ban.
This comes from a government that made it easier for overseas investors to buy land for forestry, but is now faced with provincial towns telling them their farm servicing centres are being hollowed out.
RNZ In Depth journalist Guyon Espiner sat down with Shane Jones, who is both forestry and regional development minister, and asked him why the government wanted to sell forestry land to foreigners in the first place.
Read the full story:
