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Land

New Zealand’s agricultural, horticultural and tourist industries rely heavily on the quality of our soils and native forests. New Zealanders also value the quality of these resources for recreational activities and a high standard of living. However increasing pressure is being put on these resources:

  • Two-thirds of our land is hilly or mountainous and much of it is geologically young rock that erodes easily.
  • Our soils, which mainly evolved under forests, tend to be thin and acidic.
  • Indigenous forests, which once covered 85 percent of the land area, are now confined to mountain areas and some low-lying parts of the West Coast, Southland and Northland.
  • Pests and weeds are also present significant problems in indigenous forests and on agricultural land.

In 1996 the Government launched the Sustainable Land Management Strategy. The major emphasis of the SLMS is on providing information and support in a form that will encourage land users to change unsustainable land use practices.

In parallel with this, the Government is developing, improving and supporting existing systems such as environmental indicators for land, research, new policy tools, market incentives and regulations.