Tougher rules for forestry

Environment minister David Parker and Labour candidate for East Cape Tāmati Coffey want new forestry regulations and forestry standards to give councils more power over forestry practices. Picture by Paul Rickard

Environment minister David Parker is no stranger to the pristine Gisborne and East Coast beaches of a previous era.

Speaking yesterday at Waikanae Beach, he said he had met children at Tolaga Bay who had never seen a slash-free beach.

Mr Parker announced new regulations and forestry standards which will give local councils more power to decide where new commercial forests —  including carbon forests — are located, to reduce impacts on communities and the environment.

“Obviously we have to improve forestry practices in Gisborne and elsewhere where we have steep erosion-prone country,” he said.

“We can’t leave as much debris behind when areas are logged.”

Slash provisions have been tightened to reduce the risks of damage to downstream communities as experienced in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Slash longer than two metres, and with a large-end diameter of more than 10cm, must be removed after harvesting from erosion-prone land unless it is unsafe to do so.

“You just can’t cause your logging operation to leave residues that become someone else’s problem and take down a fence or bridge.

“This is a minimum standard across the country, and councils can apply more stringent requirements if they choose,”  Mr Parker said.

“Where foresters are unable to meet these national standards, they will need to obtain resource consent, meaning councils consider the risks and impacts on a site-by-site basis” he said.

Mr Parker said he had spoken to Mayor Rehette Stoltz “who’s pretty hot on the issue”.

“Ratepayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill cleaning the debris regularly off the beach.

“Some of the changes were modelled on proposed plan changes being developed by Gisborne District Council.”

Councils will be able to have rules in their plans controlling where new commercial forests are located, developed in consultation with their communities.

“There has been a big increase in carbon forests since the forestry regulations were introduced in 2018.

“Carbon foresters will now need to meet the same environmental standards as plantation foresters.

“There are also new provisions for managing wilding tree spread to help better control these species.

Mr Parker, asked if the changes guaranteed there would be no more Cyclone Gabrielle-type slash, said the new rules and regulations were not a cure all.

“There are some objectors to the changes, but we’ve got to do something to change the future.”

The changes follow consultation on changes to environmental standards for plantation forestry.

The need for this was highlighted by the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Uses in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa released in May this year.

The regulations will be known as the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (previously the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry), to reflect the inclusion of carbon forests.

The changes come into force from November 2.

The Ministry for the Environment and councils will work together to implement the changes, while Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service is developing risk assessment and management tools for landowners and councils.