Plantation pine was overwhelmingly the biggest type of wood debris on Gisborne region beaches after Cyclone Hale earlier this year, a scientific assessment shows.
While forestry companies on the battered East Coast claim native bush contributes its share of the devastating problem of “slash” in the region, figures released to the Herald by the Gisborne District Council suggest pine debris is easily the biggest culprit.
An assessment of beaches by a council scientist after Cyclone Hale in January, but before Cyclone Gabrielle this month, also said “it is likely that the proportion of forestry slash is higher in areas upstream of beaches”.
“For example, from the council’s initial inspections of the river banks at the Hikuwai Bridge following Cyclone Gabrielle, the material there appears to consist of 100 per cent pine, as does the pile of material at Uttings Crossing on Waimata Road.” (Hikuwai Bridge is a major bridge, on SH35 north of Tolaga Bay. It collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle).
The assessment said sometimes a raft of pine logs would take out riverside exotics like willows and pines as it headed down.
It would also take out riverside native manuka and kanuka.
“So this natural vegetation can be a by-product of the mobilisation of forestry logs and slash.”
In response to Herald inquiries, council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said an initial assessment showed that on Waikanae Beach, where a 12-year-old boy died on January 26 playing among debris, some 70 per cent of slash was pine; 14 per cent was non-plantation exotic (willow, poplar, acacia); 13 per cent was native; 3 per cent, fence posts.
The respective figures and wood categories for Tolaga Bay South beach were 81 per cent; 5 per cent; 12 per cent; 2 per cent.
For Tolaga Bay North beach, it was 79 per cent; 11 per cent; 8 per cent; 2 per cent.
Tokomaru Bay beach: 50 per cent; 20 per cent; 17 per cent; 13 per cent.
Tikapa track: 51 per cent; 14 per cent; 18 per cent; 14 per cent.
Tikapa rocks: 51 per cent; 15 per cent; 21 per cent; 16 per cent.
Thatcher Swann said the council’s investigation and assessment of debris mobilised during Cyclone Gabrielle this month was still at a very early stage.
“The council has not seen any other assessment data by independent researchers relating to the proportion of forestry slash so cannot comment on how any other assessments compare to the council’s post-Hale beach assessment of debris.”
The Government last week announced a ministerial inquiry into the ongoing East Coast forestry debris issue which, even before this year’s two cyclones, caused millions of dollars of damage to property, land and infrastructure.
The council has successfully prosecuted five forestry companies to date for breaching the conditions of their resource consents.
The prosecutions followed an investigation of forestry compliance issues after a major storm in June 2018 resulted in large amounts of slash, forestry debris, logs and sediment from six forests in the Gisborne region collapsing and damaging waterways within and outside the forests. The 2018 event also resulted in Tolaga Bay beach being inundated with forestry slash.
The forestry companies successfully taken to court were:
- Aratu Forests with a total of 91 collapsed skid (collection landings) over two of its forests, and damage outside forests. It was fined a total of $379,000 with $125,000 of reparation imposed. Aratu Forests is owned by entities in Australia, Canada and the US.
- Juken NZ, 11 collapsed skid sites, damage outside forest. Fine $152,000. Juken is Japanese-owned.
- DNS Forest Products, three collapsed skid sites, fine $124,000, $6500 reparation imposed. DNS was placed into liquidation after pleading guilty. The council understands the fines or reparation have not been paid.
- PF Olsen, seven collapsed skid sites, one road collapse, damage outside forest, damage to Tolaga Bay catchment. Fine $198,000. New Zealand-owned.
- Ernslaw One and Timbergrow, 10 collapsed skid sites, multiple road collapses, Damage outside forests and to Tolaga Bay catchment. Fine $225,000, reparation imposed $130,000.