The Bill proposed to curb farm-to-forest conversions does not go far enough, Southland farmers say, and is too late, with whole blocks of pines visible across the region.
The farmers and their advocates say the legislation does not protect productive hill country, which is another loss for the already struggling sheep sector.
Last week, Federated Farmers provincial president Jason Herrick said "carbon farming" was the biggest cause of arable land being converted to trees.
Carbon farming is when the planting of trees, in offsetting carbon, earns carbon credits, which, under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), is converted into profit.
Farmers like Mr Herrick say there has been a "boom" in selling farms to forestry interests, landowners cashing in before the legislation becomes more restrictive.
After the Forestry Conversion Bill’s first reading in June, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Todd McClay said it would prevent land classes 1-5 from entering the ETS.
"New Zealand’s most productive soil," he said then.
But Mr Herrick said the steeper land, class 6 and 7, remained unprotected, which was land used strategically by farmers for sheep.
While not so easy for cattle or, for that matter, trees, hill country was still "good farmable land" for sheep, Mr Herrick said.
This came during already "hard times" for sheep farmers, who were being "pushed" to sell their land to forestry as stock numbers continued to drop.
"Sheep farming hasn’t exactly been that lucrative," he said.
He had seen large-scale conversions "all over" Southland, including a whole hill block backing on to the historic Glen Islay Station, on the outskirts of Gore.
"That’s completely sprayed out now, ready to go into trees," he said.
Glen Islay, owned by the Roy family, has been rumoured to have been sold to forestry since the start of the year, but the family has declined multiple requests for comment.
The station had a massive farm machinery clearance sale near Clinton in May, selling off 120 items including 12 tractors, 13 other farm machines and 21 motor vehicles.
Another machinery clearing sale, featuring more than 100 machines, cars and other farm items, is set for today in Gore.
Mr Herrick said he had also seen "massive blocks" behind Gore’s Dolamore Park completely converted into trees, as well as around Lawrence, right through to Ranfurly and Tapanui as well.
As the law was coming fully into force in October, his organisation wanted to keep making the government aware of these issues and loopholes.
