The National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land is being welcomed by local growers, as it requires councils to identify, map and protect land like theirs for food production, not subdivisions. Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said the new policy enhances protection for this highly productive land, giving farmers, growers and other food producers certainty, and greater economic security for all New Zealanders. About 15 per cent of New Zealand's land is categorised as highly productive. Over 20 years, about 35,000 hectares have been developed nationally, while 170,000 hectares of this land have been converted to lifestyle blocks. The new policy will introduce strong restrictions on the use of highly productive land for new rural lifestyle developments.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 13, 2022 00:09 UTC