1BT partnership fund welcomed
NZPPI welcomes the government’s announcement of the One Billion Trees fund, in particular the commitment of $120 million partnership fund for innovation and capability building.
Chief Executive Matthew Dolan says:
“This investment is urgently needed to enable the science, innovation and skills development that will be needed to grow the quantity of seedling needed to meet the increase in demand over the coming decade.
“We hope this funding announcement will enable us to get underway with a whole range of initiatives to assist the nursery industry to grow and meet this new demand.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for both landowners and nurseries, but seedling production is not straight forward. There are some huge challenges to overcome and this funding will enable our industry to undertake the research and innovation projects that will be vital to the success of the programme.
“It will also help to develop the skills and knowledge that will be needed to ensure that planting projects are successful.
“The One Billion Trees programme has taken time to get underway and we are looking forward to making progress.”
ENDS.