Visitors to Whakarewarewa Forest are being encouraged to read and heed signage advising them to keep safe and avoid entering unauthorised work areas during harvesting activity starting in November.
Visitors to Whakarewarewa Forest are being encouraged to read and heed signage advising them to keep safe and avoid entering unauthorised work areas during harvesting activity starting in November.
Recreational users of the Whakarewarewa Forest are being asked to stay out of unauthorised operational areas with harvesting starting next month.
Timberlands manages the Kaingaroa Forest Estate, one of the largest sustainable harvest forests in the Southern Hemisphere and, alongside iwi landowners, provides access to 200km of mountainbiking routes.
Timberlands general manager of sustainability, Colin Maunder, said while Whakarewarewa Forest was a haven for mountain bikers, walkers and horse riders, it was also a commercial forest and users must never enter unauthorised areas.
“Operational forestry is a serious work environment, and safety for everyone is our first priority at Timberlands,” Maunder said.
The forestry company wanted to raise community awareness of the risks involved for both recreational users and kaimahi (workers) when people do not read, or heed forest signage.
“When mountain bike riders, walkers, or hikers unlawfully enter an operational area, it creates serious risk not only for themselves but also for our workers who may be engaged in hazardous tasks such as waste thinning, aerial operations, and road edge felling activities,” Maunder said.
“We know that the forest is a great place to ride and play, but we urge everyone to read and heed forest signage and controls for their own safety and the safety of our kaimahi.”
Maunder said anyone who entered an unauthorised area could be prosecuted under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015.
Visitors to Whakarewarewa Forest are being encouraged to read and heed signage advising them to keep safe and avoid entering unauthorised work areas during harvesting activity starting in November. Photo supplied.
“Starting in November we are undertaking harvesting in areas of Whakarewarewa Forest and have increased controls and signage in preparation. We want to prevent the likelihood of people going into areas they shouldn’t.”
He said the goal was to ensure everyone could enjoy Whakarewarewa Forest safely.
Rotorua Lakes Council active and engaged communities manager, Rob Pitkethley, said the council supported the initiative to protect Timberlands workers and the community.
“Safety in our forests is a shared responsibility and we strongly urge all forest users to read and heed the signs to ensure safety at all times.”
Timberlands said RotoruaNZ would be communicating with local tourism operators.
“Whakarewarewa Forest attracted thousands of visitors to our beautiful region each year, and we encourage our tourism operators to join us in educating visitors on the importance of keeping safe and heeding all signage,” RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson, said.
Timberlands website has information about Whakarewarewa Forest access and closures, or email info@tll.co.nz.
