Government Seeks Partners for Tree Planting Projects on Crown-Owned Land

The RFI is designed to gauge interest and gather insights from potential partners, both domestic and international, on how to make such partnerships attractive and feasible.

The Government has launched a Request for Information (RFI) to explore partnerships for planting trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value, excluding National Parks, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today.

“This initiative aims to drive regional economic growth by creating more forestry jobs, providing additional wood for domestic processing, and enhancing export opportunities over time,” Mr. McClay said. “Tree planting also serves as a cornerstone of our climate strategy, offering nature-based solutions to reduce net emissions.”

Partnership Opportunities and Objectives

The RFI is designed to gauge interest and gather insights from potential partners, both domestic and international, on how to make such partnerships attractive and feasible. Key areas of interest include:

Commercial, Carbon, and Biodiversity Planting Partners can indicate their interest in planting trees for diverse purposes, including commercial timber production, carbon sequestration, and enhancing biodiversity.

Contractual and Operational Arrangements Respondents are encouraged to propose the types of agreements and conditions they consider essential for successful collaboration.

Overcoming Barriers The Government seeks input on any challenges or barriers to tree planting and suggestions on how these could be mitigated.

The Crown land identified for this initiative excludes areas of high farming productivity or significant conservation value, and strict adherence to Treaty of Waitangi settlement obligations will be maintained.

Economic and Environmental Benefits

Mr. McClay emphasized the dual economic and environmental benefits of the project:

“By planting trees on underutilized Crown-owned land, we can simultaneously stimulate regional economies and combat climate change. These partnerships offer a cost-effective way to reduce emissions while delivering tangible benefits such as job creation, biodiversity enhancement, and increased carbon storage.”

The initiative aligns with New Zealand’s broader climate goals, including commitments under international agreements. In addition to economic growth, the program aims to improve environmental resilience by restoring degraded ecosystems and reducing soil erosion.

How to Participate

Interested parties are invited to submit their RFI responses online. Submissions should outline the activities they wish to undertake, suggest potential partnership models, and propose the types of agreements they consider appropriate.

The RFI process is open to a variety of organizations, including private companies, iwi groups, and international entities.

The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on 28 February 2025.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work together to achieve long-term sustainability goals while delivering benefits to local communities and future generations,” Mr. McClay added.

For more information and to submit a response, visit the official government website.