Gisborne District Council says forestry is an important part of the region’s future, but there is also a need to manage environmental risk and protect communities.
Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher Swann says recent public discussion has highlighted concerns about how the council’s forestry consenting and compliance system is working and the ability of forestry to continue harvesting.
“We are listening to those concerns,” she says. “More than 2800ha of red zone land has been consented under the new conditions over the past 15 months. We want forestry to succeed in Tairāwhiti, we need harvesting to continue, and we need land that is no longer suitable for plantation forestry to transition safely over time.
“We also have communities, waterways and infrastructure downstream of some of the most erosion-prone land in the country. We need a way forward that deals with both the economic and environmental realities of our region.”
An independent assurance review, chaired by Hon Christopher Finlayson KC, is testing the council’s forestry consenting and compliance system, including the effectiveness and application of the new consent conditions.
“There are genuine questions about whether the current system is proportionate, practical and efficient,” says Ms Thatcher Swann. “The purpose of the review is to independently test whether our requirements are as efficient as they reasonably can be.
“If there are requirements or processes that can be simplified without significantly compromising environmental and community outcomes, we will make them. Equally, where requirements are justified by the risks we face, that needs to be understood too.”
The council has progressively strengthened its forestry consenting, monitoring and enforcement capability since 2018, following the Queen’s Birthday floods and successive severe weather events including cyclones Hale and Gabrielle.
It has also implemented recommendations arising from the 2023 Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use. That work has included dedicated forestry expertise, increased aerial and ground monitoring, stronger enforcement where serious non-compliance has occurred and new standard consent conditions.
“Our region has some of the most highly erodible land in the country, combined with steep terrain and exposure to severe weather. When land or woody debris moves, there are communities and critical infrastructure directly in its path,” says Ms Thatcher Swann.
“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t test whether our requirements are proportionate and workable. But it does mean the consequences of getting the settings wrong can be significant.
“There is a trade-off here that we need to be upfront about. If we loosen requirements, we potentially accept more risk for our communities and environment. We have heard loud and clear from our communities that they are not prepared to go back to the level of risk they have experienced in the past.
“Equally, forestry supports jobs, families and our regional economy. The Government has been clear that it sees a future for forestry and wood processing in Tairāwhiti, and we agree. We need people in employment and we need a viable industry.
“The challenge is finding the settings that allow that industry to operate while managing the level of risk our communities are prepared to accept.”
The council is also continuing to work with government facilitator Doug Leeder, iwi, landowners, industry and other stakeholders on the wider challenges facing the region.
Further practical work is underway, including development of a nationally consistent framework with the New Zealand Institute of Forestry for recognising suitably qualified forestry professionals, and work with government and industry on a pilot pathway for forestry-related discharges.
“These are practical issues where we should be able to work together and find solutions.”
Ms Thatcher Swann says the challenges facing forestry in Tairāwhiti extend well beyond the consenting system.
“This is bigger than consenting. It is about safely harvesting existing forests, managing legacy risks, transitioning our most vulnerable land and retaining a viable forestry and wood-processing sector through that change. No one party can solve that alone. Council, government, iwi, landowners and industry all have a role. Our focus is on getting the evidence on the table, working through the issues and finding a practical and sustainable way forward for Tairāwhiti.”
