2018 International Forest Industries IFI June July 2018 Digital | Page 11
LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS
Forestry debris causes major damage on NZ East coast
Masses of forestry debris that
flooded a small town north of
Gisborne has created a NZ$10
million cleanup, but questions
have been raised about who
should pay. Heavy rain caused
water to flood through Tolaga Bay,
crashing through homes when the
Mangaheia River burst its banks on
Monday reports Friday Offcuts.
It took slash – forestry debris
– in its wake damaging roads
and bridges and piling up on
farms and in gullies. Gisborne
Mayor Meng Foon said while the
forestry sector would support in
what he expected to be a NZ$10m
cleanup, ratepayers would have
to help pay. Foon said most of the
flood damage affected roads and
bridges.
When asked if forestry should
foot the whole bill for clean-up
efforts, Foon said forestry had been
supportive in the past. The council
began looking into the issue of
slash in the wake of ex-tropical
Cyclone Cook in April last year.
As of two months ago a national
environment standard meant there
were stricter planting and fresh
water rules. “We will be making
sure that we implement those,”
Foon said.
Forestry Minister Shane Jones
called the debris-strewn flood an
extraord inarily severe weather
event and a “wake-up call”. The
Government, he said, would decide
in the next week or so what it could
do to help. We’ve got to do better. I
don’t know of anyone in the forest
sector who does not accept that
their practices need to improve.”
New Zealand Forest Owners
Association communications
manager Don Carson said the
land which held slash and timbers
was some of the most “highly
erodible” land in the world. Similar
incidences were known to happen
but no landscape could have
tolerated such a high amount of
isolated rainfall. The area was
forested in “less enlightened
times”.
Carson said anyone who caused
environmental damage should not
buck their obligations, nor should
anyone be held totally accountable.
“I do know that companies in the
Nelson area assisted in the cleanup
there. I would expect the same sort
of thing to happen in Tolaga Bay.”
BIG
is always best.
HEM 820 with CAT C18
www.jenz.de
October 17-19, 2018
Portland, Oregon
For full details please visit
www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com
JENZ GmbH Maschinen- und Fahrzeugbau
Wegholmer Str. 14 ∙ 32469 Petershagen ∙ Germany
+49 5704 / 94090 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.jenz.de
International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2018 9