Andi Cocroft: Carbon Credits or Productive Landscapes?

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has reignited an important discussion about the future of New Zealand’s landscapes. His latest report argues that forestry should gradually be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), or at least its role significantly restricted, because the current system is encouraging carbon offsetting rather than reducing emissions at their source.

The recommendation will inevitably be viewed through the lens of climate policy, but there is a broader question that deserves equal attention.

Andi Cocroft: Forestry Slash: Who Should Set the Rules?

The Government’s decision to halt Gisborne District Council’s proposed forestry slash rules has reignited an important debate about environmental management in New Zealand. Local environmental groups have described the decision as indefensible, while the Government argues that national resource management reforms should provide a consistent framework across the country. Beneath the political debate lies a broader question: who is best placed to set environmental rules when local conditions differ so dramatically?

Andi Cocroft: Molesworth Belongs to New Zealand

The Department of Conservation has selected Ngāi Tahu Farming as its preferred operator for Molesworth Station, ending a competitive process that attracted five bids. The decision has inevitably generated discussion, particularly following the disappointment expressed by former manager Jim Ward, whose proposal centred on creating “a station for the nation” through a charitable trust. While attention has naturally focused on who won the concession, the more important question is what New Zealand should expect from whoever manages one of the country’s most iconic landscapes.