“The Pakuratahi Land Use Study is being repeated in Hawke’s Bay with involvement from a range of stakeholders, including industry and iwi. It is a unique opportunity for forward-looking research and education into improved land use across farming, forestry, and native forest restoration activities.”
Both letters acknowledge ongoing clean-up efforts including hundreds of hours tidying up beaches, the adoption of woody debris protocols and the continuation of the use of science and technology to manage slopes.
“The impacts and scale of these cyclical weather patterns are astounding when they occur. While Wairoa was not as badly impacted by woody debris, saturation from six months of record rain and then this major event has taken a huge toll in Hawke’s Bay,” Mr Powrie said.
“It can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach for Aotearoa. The challenges in Tairāwhiti and the challenges in Hawke’s Bay are not identical, which means the ongoing responses in each area vary too. I am proud of the way our people have stepped up to help in the face of devastating weather events, but we are not done yet,” Mr Hope said.
Looking to the future, Philip Hope said further initiatives were on the table.
“Ultimately, where the risks of slope failure cannot be mitigated due to the highly erodible soils, there may be cases for retirement of land from productive use and not building on high-risk flood plains. That is something that we will consider as well.
“We need to continue to collaborate at a sector level with GDC, iwi and mana whenua to tackle the most pressing issues and find the right way forward,” Mr Hope said.
James Powrie also noted the critical role that mature relationships with local and central governments will play in fostering enduring change.
“In Hawke’s Bay, we have a pulp mill to process poorer quality logs in the region, and a wood-fired power facility. This plant processes forest residues, removing them from the forests. Gisborne doesn’t have these initiatives in place,” Mr Powrie said.
“As an industry, we need central government to help us create an environment for investments like this. We also need a nuanced approach to land use, and site-specific treatment of the risks and impacts from debris and sediment.”
Both Mr Hope and Mr Powrie acknowledge there is also work to do to restore the social licence which was impacted in the wake of the cyclones.
“Forestry remains an important part of the economic and social fabric of who we are as a country. As an industry, we are committed to working hard to regain the trust and confidence of our community,” Mr Hope said.