Tararua north ward candidates all share concerns about the social and economic effects of the rapid spread of pine plantations in the district. Tararua residents, like many in rural communities, is uneasy about the rapid expansion of pine plantations fuelled by a Government carbon trading scheme. But farming families were moving away as the plantations spread over increasingly larger tracts of Tararua. SUPPLIED Erana Peeti-Webber said nine pupils left Pongaroa School as farming families sold up and moved away in term one this year. Long said although well-managed farms could also store carbon, albeit in smaller amounts, commercial pine plantations would only store carbon for 36 years on average.

Source: Stuff October 03, 2019 06:56 UTC