May 15, 2023
Forest owners push back on Parata report
The Eastland Wood Council says there could be unintended consequences to the recommendations of a ministerial inquiry into woody debris brought down by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Chief executive Philip Hope says the council representing the owners of more than 130,000 ha of East Coast production forest agrees in principle with the report, especially the call for greater collaboration with Iwi, mana whenua, local and central government.
But there is also the risk some forestry blocks could be retired to become permanent carbon farms, to the detriment of the environment and rural communities.
“So I think we’ve got to work through the detail of some of these recommendations, particularly the restrictions on harvest volume, and reflect back on what that looks like so we can come up with a model that meets the expectations of the inquiry but also will enable the industry to function and enable those communities that rely on the industry to continue to do so,” Mr Hope says.
If pine trees are left standing they will only become bigger, heavier and create a greater risk of wholesale failure if sections of forest collapse into river systems and ultimately onto beaches.
He says some sections of forest should be retired but the challenge now is whether to leave them standing or have a process where they are felled without compromising the environment.