AFFORESTATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 11, 26 September 1944, Page 5

AFFORESTATION

STATE POLICY URGED MR W.. SULLIVAN'S VIEWS The benefits to be derived from a sound afforestation policy were stressed by Mr W. Sullivan (National Bay of Plenty) in the House of Representatives when lie pointed out that the native forests had been very seriously depleted to provide timber for defence construction purposes. He said it was very pleasing to find that the Government had in view the expanding of the exotic plantations. The Minister in charge of afforestation had stated that there were 800,000 acres of exotic plantations, and one could say that half of that, area belonged to private concerns and half to the State. Unfortunately, over the last five or ten years, the Government had fallen back in the planting of softwoods. It had not pursued the policy originally laid down for the. State forest scheme, in that it had not advanced as rapidly as one would have liked it to have done. The Minister should take into consideration the acquisition, of suitable lands for reafforestation in areas where there was a population, and where there would be a future demand for timber. There, were many places with an excellent which contributed to fast growth, and in those places there were centres of. population which, in would demand supplies of timber. Therefore an effort, should be made to establish plantations in those areas. There was a large population in the towns and country areas in the East Coast district with no timber supplies other than the small amount, of native timber available, and when timber was required it had to be brought from the. Rotorua district or other outside districts. The policy should be to disperse plantations, among areas advantageously situated in respect of ever-increasing population. The Forestry Department could be expanded enormously. New Zealand could grow timber four or five times as fast as Sweden and Canada, and if a long range policy were adopted a good export trade in soft woods could be developed. Pinus insignis could be milled after about. 15 years. The country had a good rainfall which promoted growth. In: regard to rehabilitation, tree planting could be, of material assistance, particularly in areas where there was a large Native population. ,