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National targets Government over failure to meet tree planting target

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 21 Jan 2018, 3:36PM
Simon Bridges has lambasted the Government after they backed down on their plans to plant 1 billion trees (Image / Getty Images)
Simon Bridges has lambasted the Government after they backed down on their plans to plant 1 billion trees (Image / Getty Images)

National targets Government over failure to meet tree planting target

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 21 Jan 2018, 3:36PM

The Opposition says a government target to plant one billion trees in 10 years is quickly becoming an embarrassing mirage.

The Labour-New Zealand First coalition earlier pledged to reach the target by doubling the 50 million trees already planted each year to 100 million.

However, Forestry Minister Shane Jones on Friday admitted his team was having a real challenge finding land for the project and was now expecting to plant only 5 million extra trees this year for a total of about 55 million.

National's Economic and Regional Development spokesman Simon Bridges lambasted the backdown, saying it would take 200 years to plant a billion trees at 5 million per year.

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