Forestry Minister Peeni Henare announced the proposals yesterday, and said they would give communities greater control over the planting of the "right tree in the right place".
The changes to the national environmental standards for plantation forestry which, subject to Cabinet approval, will be enacted before the October general election, would allow councils to control so-called "carbon farming" through the resource consent process.
Mr Henare said this would allow the environmental effects of permanent pine forests to be managed the same way as plantation forests.
"This means many standards - such as ensuring firebreaks, rules [for] planting next to rivers, lakes and wetlands - will now be required for any new forestry conversions.
"[These amendments] get the balance right by giving communities a voice, while not restricting the purchasing of land or ability for farmers to choose to sell their farms to whomever they want."
Clutha Vets chief financial officer Hamish Moore said an initial reading of the new proposals suggested they were a "step in the right direction".
In February, he said untrammeled conversion of productive farmland to forestry for carbon farming could be disastrous for South Otago.
"I want to make it clear I’m not against people planting trees on appropriate parts of their farm, or selling their farms for forestry.
"What I am concerned about is the wholesale planting of good farmland in trees, so any regulations that can help prevent this would be advantageous. Hopefully, [the Government has] heard people and for once is listening."
Evans Flat farmer Roger Cotton, who recently converted about a quarter of his sheep and beef farm to carbon forestry, said most carbon farmers were already practising what was proposed.
"The right tree in the right place makes sense, but I think you will find, in our district, that was happening anyway.
"Organisations buying ground for forestry are already being more and more sympathetic to that rhetoric, and are very selective on what they buy and where."
The broader environmental safeguards proposed made sense, given recent experiences in the North Island during Cyclone Gabrielle. Handing over decision making to local councils raised further questions, however.
"Now that local government is going to have a voice, is there a national standard for grading land for forestry? Will this grading be consistent NZ-wide, or is it up to local government to come up with their own grading formula for their own districts?
"[This], in my mind, is telling landowners what they can and can’t do with their property, and this could cost those that are selling a lot of money due to a local perception."
