Lack of use of ‘total stem volume’ root of many forestry problems

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

Gisborne forestry identity Sheldon Drummond says the industry must “use the whole tree” to be profitable and sustainable.

Speaking at the Tairāwhiti Tomorrow Together summit last week, the former general manager of Juken NZ”s forestry business said there was not enough processing in the industry.

“The lack of utilisation of the total stem volume is the root of many of the problems here."

It led to lack of profitability because “we’re growing wood and leaving it on the hill”, he said.

“Believe me, forestry companies are not making money in the current scene.”

Woody debris left on hills led to catastrophic debris flows into waterways.

That led to a lack of environmental sustainability and, “worst of all”, loss of social licence.

“It’s pretty clear the industry is not sustainable.”

There were many non-compliance issues, he said.

“We can carry on. We can burn the woody debris on the hill.”

Alternatively, forestry could develop proper usage for woody debris, although it would not be easy.

Many things could be done with wood, particularly radiata pine, he said.

The industry had to be profitable and “enduring commercially”.

It needed to develop permanent riparian forests with commercial outcomes.

But “riparians” planted with native trees took a long time and was expensive.

“We really need to think hard about native trees.”

Permanent riparians were needed.

“We can’t be in there harvesting pine trees every 28 years.

Science needed to be embraced.

Mr Drummond said he was involved in two businesses working with tree breeding, chemistry and biology research.

The businesses were trying to extract carbon from woody debris and produce medicinal products, mainly manuka, from permanent riparian forests.

The two solutions to the woody debris issue worked in tandem in two businesses which would create 1050 full-time employee places and earn $560 million in gross revenue per annum, he said.