In the wake of the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use on the East Coast, the Government is investing $10.4 million into finding commercial uses for harvest residues, such as forestry slash and other woody debris.
Forestry Minister Peeni Henare says the study will looks better slash recovery methods, transportation, processing methods and market options so the resource is used rather than left on the land to be carried away by the next flood.
Through the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Government is supporting the a collective in the Tairāwhiti-Hikuwai region which is seeking consents for a bioenergy plant that turns woody debris into a mix of biodiesel and electricity.
It’s also supporting work on continuous cover forestry where trees will be cut down on a rotation rather than clear-felling large blocks.
