A better, cheaper way to plant natives takes root

Posted: 08 Feb 2023

For New Zealand to get anywhere near the Climate Change Commission’s recommendation of 380,000ha of native trees planted by 2035, industry and supporters agree the costs need to fall significantly. 

Current estimates of $30,000/ha put native planting beyond the reach of most private landowners, often limiting projects to small-scale woodlot-type areas. 

But a report funded by Our Land and Water outlines a cheaper, more effective method of re-populating land into ngahere, or native bush. It is a method being undertaken by a number of catchment groups around New Zealand, with total costs almost a third of the conventional native-planting method.

Alison Dewes, director of environmental advisory company Tipu Whenua and John Burke have overseen the Timata (kickstart) method as a means for catchment groups around the country to get more natives in the ground cheaper and faster.

Read more on Farmers Weekly.