Native Forest Champions Honoured at Fieldays 2026
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
Forests planted for carbon credits are permanently locking up NZ’s landscapes, and could land us with more carbon costs, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE).
The new report, ‘Alt-F Reset: Examining the drivers of forestry in New Zealand’, says that radiata pine is really the only economical tree for carbon farming.
However, it could leave the Crown with future carbon liabilities if they’re damaged by pests, disease, fire or extreme weather events.
Even climate scientists are anti-pine, one saying “the PCE, Simon Upton, is uniquely qualified to provide impartial strategic guidance on New Zealand Forests.
We should be grateful for this as climate virtue signaling and perverse carbon incentives threaten to radically change our rural landscapes in a widespread and visually jarring fashion”.
The key takeaway from the PCE’s advice is ‘‘no to carbon forestry!’
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
The Government has announced $60,000 to provide one-off grants of $1,000 to each of the 60 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) clubs across the country.
New Zealand’s rural sector has once again demonstrated its generosity, with the second Rural Industry Leaders Dinner, Debate and Auction raising an impressive $400,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
There has been another twist to the Federated Farmers annual election fiasco.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.
Yesterday the Government used the opening of Fieldays to announce a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.

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