Shane Jones

New Minister of Forests Shane Jones could prune out “shysters” buying small pine plantations, harvesting the trees, selling the logs overseas and putting the stripped land back on the market without replanting.  …The land, often isolated, steep and covered with stumps, would in most cases be very costly to clear for pastoral farming. Mr Jones said that, during a pre-election meeting with Northland plantation forestry company officials, he was told about a network of “shysters” focusing on buying small woodlots, some paying cash and selling the logs overseas without giving local wood processors a chance to use them. The minister was aware selling the woodlots was a priority for some landowners who had waited more than 25 years for the trees to grow and lacked funds to replant them.