East Coast can’t fell the forest for the trees

Posted: 10 Sep 2024

Forest harvesting has ground to a halt in some areas of Tairāwhiti as the region grapples with how to deal with thousands of hectares of radiata pine planted on the country’s most erosion-prone land.

Regulations governing forestry have come under the spotlight after the Gisborne district was hit by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle early last year, causing widespread flooding, erosion and environmental devastation from wood debris and soil.

Under new National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry that came into effect in November last year, forestry slash longer than two metres and with a large-end diameter of more than 10 centimetres must be removed from erosion-prone land after harvesting.

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