‘Clean up your mess’

HAVING THEIR SAY: Tolaga Bay residents question Gisborne District Council and forestry representatives about the recent flood events in the region. About 100 people met in Reynolds Hall last night. Picture supplied

In a sometimes angry atmosphere, Tolaga Bay residents last night told the forestry industry to accept responsibility and clear the land and beaches of slash and other flood debris.

About 100 people went to a public meeting in the township last night, attended by Gisborne District Council and forestry representatives.

“If forestry companies own the logs that go on the ships, they also own the rubbish that’s on the beach — and the rubbish that has destroyed farms,” said farmer Bruce Jefferd.

“I don’t want to see a single Gisborne District Council dollar go into cleaning up the beach,” he said.

It was one of several times the community gathering applauded a speaker during the night.

“Your practices are disgusting,” said another resident.

“Who will take responsibility?”

Another person said it was obvious the flood “had been coming”

Another person suggested forestry “pay our boys to clean it up”.

“Make it safe.”

Farmer Bridget Parker said the council’s 2017 Cyclone Cook slash report should be translated into the appropriate foreign language of the owners of forestry companies.

That report had foreseen what had happened in the past two weeks, she said.

There was acknowledgement of the many jobs forestry provided in the region.

Shaun Mitchell said he had been working in forestry for 20 years.

“I’ll give it another 20 years.”

The industry provided a lot of employment.

“But we’ve got to get our shit together.”

Ian Brown, general manager of Hikurangi Forest Farms, said the company was having conversations with neighbours about clearing slash.

“We will do that off our own back.”

‘This event has moved hillsides’Questioned about a time frame, Mr Brown said it would happen as soon as possible.

“‘But we can’t get in because of silt.”

A clean-up had started after the first event, but machinery had been taken away to help the council open roads.

Iain McInnes, the Gisborne regional manager of Ernslaw One, said forestry, like other industries, was looking for constant improvement and the council was “looking at our practices”.

The gathering appeared unhappy when both the council and forestry representatives said they could not guarantee such an event not happening again.

They could not control the weather, they said.

One resident asked whether the Tolaga Bay community would be safe.

Nick Zaman, the council’s director of environmental services and protection, said the council took their role seriously.

If non-compliance was found, the council could issue compliance notices or prosecute . . . “that I can assure you”.

Chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said there were sufficient staff to handle the 1250 active forestry consents.

Lois Easton, the council’s environment and science manager, said consents were fundamentally different from only two years ago.

Deputy chief executive David Wilson said he could not accept a claim that water closed roads.

Water did “hammer” the roads but was not responsible for closing roads in the high country.

“This event has moved hillsides.”

The council had to “step up” in terms of road maintenance.

“But let’s not pretend roads fell apart because water fell on them.

“They fell apart because hills fell on them.”

Dave Hadfield, general manager of Tairawhiti Roads, said it was true the East Coast had the worst roads in the country.

It was a matter of geology and available roading material.

Arakihi Road was the worst road.

It offered technical challenges and was really dangerous.

It was not suitable for school buses.

Ms Thatcher Swann, when told the three-month-long investigation into forestry compliance would be too long, said the council would report more regularly to the community and would meet with the Uawanui Project Governance Group, as suggested by chairman Victor Walker.