Kia ora

On behalf of Hon Shane Jones, thank you for your email which has been
received by this office. Your correspondence has been noted.

 

Your email will be placed before the Minister for consideration, and if
required a response can be expected in due course. If your email is
bringing some information to the attention of the Minister, please regard
this as a final response to your email.

Ngā mihi,

Office of Hon Shane Jones

Minister of Forestry | Minister for Infrastructure | Minister for Regional
Economic Development

Associate Finance Minister |Associate State Owned Enterprises Minister |
Associate Transport Minister

L6.4 The Beehive | Wellington | Ph: +64 4 817 8719

[1][IMG]　　[2]www.beehive.govt.nz　

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Kia ora Lance,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request for the information below.

Regarding the first part of your request, I suggest you consult the tree counter on the Te Uru Rākau website, which is available at the following link: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-and-prog....

We will endeavour to respond to your request within 20 working days after the day your request was received.

Ngā mihi,

William Blackler | Private Secretary (Advisory) | Office of Hon Shane Jones
Minister of Forestry | Minister for Infrastructure | Minister for Regional Economic Development
Associate Finance Minister |Associate State Owned Enterprises Minister | Associate Transport Minister
L6.4 The Beehive |Wellington|Ph: +64 4 817 8325|mobile: +64 21 530 419 [email address]
www.beehive.govt.nz

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Kia ora Lance,

Please find below a response to your official information request.

1. How many trees have successfully been planted at this time as part of the 1 Billion Trees program? Please note that this should not include trees planted through separate programs or schemes regardless of government involvement.

As of 11 February 2019, 60,811,000 trees are estimated to have been planted as part of the One Billion Trees programme. This number exceeds the interim target of 60 million trees set for 2018. The One Billion Trees programme aims to count all eligible trees planted for all purposes, not just those specifically funded by government grants.

Of the total, 7,570,000 have been directly funded by Government, either through Crown Forestry Joint Ventures, or grant schemes which sit under the umbrella of the One Billion Trees Programme. This information is publicly available on the Te Uru Râkau website and can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.teururakau.govt.nz/funding-a...

2. What is the total cost to date relating to anything related to the [One] Billion Trees program?

To date $484.5 million of funding has been allocated to Vote Forestry, from the Provincial Growth Fund. This funding covers the key aspects of the One Billion Trees Programme as outlined below. It includes both expected departmental spending (e.g. staffing and administration costs) and non-departmental spending (e.g. funding contracted with landowners and other partners for tree planting) and will be contracted and spent over multiple financial years.

• Crown Forestry joint ventures – enabling Crown Forestry to enter into a commercial arrangements with private landowners to plant up to 24 million trees, and providing an expected return on investment to the Crown at the time of harvest. To date Crown Forestry has signed 16 forestry rights (worth approximately $88 million) and is continuing to negotiate further arrangements with landowners.

• One Billion Trees Fund – a new fund, launched in November 2018, that will provide grants to landowners for planting exotic and native trees to achieve environmental and economic outcomes, and co-funding for partnership projects to address barriers to tree planting. In total approximately $240 million is allocated to the Fund over three years. Te Uru Râkau is currently assessing applications for funding, and when applications are approved will then enter into contracts with the landowner or relevant organisation. Further information about the Fund is available at https://www.teururakau.govt.nz/funding-a....

oOne Billion Trees projects agreed to by the Provincial Growth Fund during 2018 that support the goals of the One Billion Trees programme. Contracts worth approximately $28 million have been signed with the following partners:
oManuka Farming New Zealand
oMatariki Tu Rakau
oMinginui Nursery
oNgâti Hine Manuka Training Project
oHorizons Regional Afforestation Initiative
oTrees that Count
oManaia SAFE Forestry School Pilot
oPunakaiki Coastal Restoration Project
oNgati Rçhia Kauri Sanctuary Feasibility Study
oTe Waihora Restoration
oScion Totara Industry pilot

• Expanded Hill Country Erosion Fund – supporting Regional Councils to work with landowners to address erosion prone land, including through planting trees. Te Uru Râkau has assessed and approved projects from 12 Regional Councils worth approximately $36 million. Further information is available at https://www.teururakau.govt.nz/news-and-....

• Afforestation Grant Scheme and the Erosion Control Funding Programme for existing programmes which were counted against the Provincial Growth Fund.

You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of my response.

Ngâ mihi,

William Blackler | Private Secretary (Advisory) | Office of Hon Shane Jones
Minister of Forestry | Minister for Infrastructure | Minister for Regional Economic Development
Associate Finance Minister |Associate State Owned Enterprises Minister | Associate Transport Minister
L6.4 The Beehive |Wellington| [email address]
www.beehive.govt.nz

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