Conifer shreddings can be toxic to plants. I use our shreddings on the paths of the veggie garden to suppress weeds.

I use conifer shreddings and cuttings as mulch all the time (particularly from friends' leylandiis). I agree it would be a mistake to use these fresh or only a couple of months old, but if you put the shreddings in a big pile and keep it wet for six months or longer, you will have a nice half rotted product that would be ideal around shrubs or even raspberries. I think this is long enough to break down most of the toxic products that the conifers produce. I've certainly had some wonderful courgette plants planted into eight inches of this well rotted material.