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Davis responds to Billion Trees bungle: 'Weeds don't inhibit ability of pine trees to grow'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 13 Nov 2018, 9:03AM
Kelvin Davis told Mike Hosking he doesn't think the weeds will get in the way of the planting.

Davis responds to Billion Trees bungle: 'Weeds don't inhibit ability of pine trees to grow'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 13 Nov 2018, 9:03AM

Acting Prime Minister Kelvin Davis has replied questions over the suitability of the land purchased for the Government's One Billion Trees plan, by saying "weeds don't inhibit the ability of a pine tree to grow".

The Government has come under fire after forestry officials ordered more than one million pine seedlings for a block of land so choked with scrub and weeds planting couldn't go ahead.

However, Kelvin Davis told Mike Hosking he doesn't think the weeds will get in the way of the planting.

"I've seen land up there planting in pine trees so thick you could barely get a bulldozer through but the tress still get planted and they still grow. In my opinion, the weeds don't inhibit the ability of a pine tree to grow."

When asked by Mike Hosking if he was a horticulturalists, Davis said, "no, I can't really claim to be a horticulturalists."

Official documents show the Government planned to plant 1100ha with pine this year and had ordered about 1,100,000 seedlings, however, the number of seedlings able to be planted collapsed to 191,000 as the condition of the land was revealed.

When asked about the estimated $400,000 in seedlings lost, he said, " I'm sure that we will be able to plant plenty of trees".

"We will still be able to meet our target of one billion trees over 10 years and we just need to keep plugging on. This is a great policy."

Davis said he doesn't think this is a waste and gave his assurance they will still be able to plant the trees "somewhere else".

The $32m joint venture with the Crown over more than 20 years means the trust now has funding to plant about 3600ha with pine and about 500ha with mānuka. The deal is intended to return $63m to the Crown at harvest.

LISTEN ABOVE AS KELVIN DAVIS SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

 

 

 

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