On a thin strip of land between the mountains and the sea holds fertile soils that make Katikati the avocado capital of New Zealand. The National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land is being welcomed by local growers, as it requires councils to identify, map and protect land like theirs for food production, not subdivisions. It comes into force on October 17.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said the new policy enhances protection for this highly productive land, giving farmers, growers and other food producers certainty, and greater economic security for all New Zealanders.
About 15 per cent of New Zealand's land is categorised as highly productive. Over 20 years, about 35,000 hectares have been developed nationally, while 170,000 hectares of this land have been converted to lifestyle blocks.
While Katikati grows more avocados than just about anywhere in the country, the soils would support more crops if growers didn't face the challenges that they do, housing development being one. The new policy will introduce strong restrictions on the use of highly productive land for new rural lifestyle developments.
Source: nzherald.co.nz
