Confused by EWC claims about ‘massive change’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Sustainable land use advocates are calling for Gisborne District Council to clarify its position on the future of land-based activities in the region.

Responding to comments from chair Warren Rance, chair of Eastland Wood Council, at a council meeting this week, Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti chairperson Tui Warmenhoven said the industry was saying one thing in public but doing the opposite in practice.

“We are confused by Mr Rance’s claims that the forestry industry has made massive changes since 2018 but has not had many opportunities to show the steep change in operational improvements.

“One of the largest companies in the region had new court action taken against them just last week by the local authority for ongoing resource consent breaches.

“An Enforcement Order was lodged with the Environment Court against Ernslaw One and related companies for forestry slash from the West Ho Forest being discharged on to neighbouring properties and into the Pakarae River which makes its way from behind Tolaga Bay to come out at Whangara.

“The most effective way to show the steep change in operational improvements is to actually make those changes rapidly and efficiently,”  Ms Warmenhoven said.

“The most effective way to eliminate the aggregation of woody debris is to stop planting pine at the source. That way we can have a timeline for the end date to the carnage and for the time when we can all go to sleep peacefully with the sound of rain pattering on our rooftops.”

Those sentiments were reiterated by Hera Ngata-Gibson, the instigator of a petition on land use. She wants to see pine planting cease completely on erosion-prone land.

“I’m amazed that the industry has the audacity to suggest they’re going to continue planting in our catchments that are clearly unable to hold mature pine trees, let alone clear-felled plantations, ” she said.

Ms Ngata-Gibson expects to see wide engagement in any plans for land use futures in the Ūawa catchment and the entire rohe of Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti.

“No one, least of all the forestry industry, should be making assumptions about what sustainable land use looks like until we have had a robust science-based assessment of the area and what realistic options look like.”

“We also think Mr Rance’s comment about only seeing one cut log is tone deaf and disingenuous at this point, considering another forestry company is going to mediation with the council, Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti and others next month for some horrific practices in the Waimatā catchment.”