Item 9: Forestry Update
- Number 11
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Forestry Advisory Group
5 May 2020
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REPORT R13660
Forestry
Update - Number 11
1. Purpose of Report
1.1 To provide an
update to the Forestry Advisory Group (Group) on forestry activities undertaken
since Council adopted the Forestry Review recommendations in September 2016,
and since the November 2019 update.
2. Recommendation
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That the Forestry Advisory Group
1. Receives the
report Forestry Update - Number 11 (R13660) and its Attachments
(A2240085, A2355548, A2375160, A2355539, A2355460, A2375777 and A2376174);
and
2. Agrees
on a harvesting date, taking all factors into account, for the Nelson City
Council owned Brook blocks to be either:
a) September to November 2020; or
b)
July to September 2021; and
3. Notes
that the harvesting of the Tantragee Block will follow the harvesting of the
Brook Blocks; and
4. Agrees
that no exemptions will be granted to any concessionaires that operate in any
Nelson City Council forestry blocks or reserves when harvesting of any
forestry blocks is underway; and
5. Agrees
that no exemptions will be granted to any concessionaires that operate in any
Nelson City Council forestry blocks or reserves following any directive from
Fire Emergency New Zealand to close any Nelson City Council owned forestry
blocks or parks and reserves; and
6. Agrees
that the logging route protocol approved by Council in March 2002 be upheld,
namely that the Nile/Collingwood/ Halifax/Haven route be the approved route
for all harvesting from the Maitai and Brook, with the following revised
conditions:
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The maximum speed limit through the city of 40kph; and
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Loads of short logs to have belly chains; and
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Requiring transport operators to restrain securing chains on empty trucks to
reduce or avoid clanking; and
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Log truck drivers are to use radios to communicate their position to avoid
having two log trucks on narrower sections of road; and
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Limit log trucks operation through the city between 10pm and 6am; and
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Truck movements along the defined route between 8-9am and 3-4pm during the
school term be allowed but at no speed greater than 30kph; and
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Avoid logging traffic along the defined route from mid-December to mid-January
inclusive; and
7. Instructs officers to
write to all logging operators requesting compliance with the conditions in recommendation
6 of Report R13660; and
8. Approves the Fire
Risk Procedures A2240085 of Report R13660; and
9. Approves the Draft
Forestry Stewardship Council Accreditation Management Plan A2355542 of Report
R13660, subject to any amendments approved by the Chair of the Forestry
Advisory Group; and
10. Approves that consultation on the Forestry
Stewardship Council Accreditation Management Plan can commence as per Report
R13660; and
11. Agrees that the small area to be
harvested by Tasman Pine Forests on Council land be replanted with natives
once harvested; and
12. Agrees that the Marsden block (42.06) be
replanted in Pinus Radiata and not converted to alternate use once harvested;
and
13. Notes the location and costs of the
bridges required across the Maitai and Roding Rivers that will allow
harvesting to commence in 2020/21.
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3. Douglas Fir
Harvesting and Poisoning
3.1 Update
is shown in the table below (only outstanding items are shown).
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block/stand/species/area
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Status
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Brook/22.08/D Fir/3.4Ha
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Harvesting updates to be determined
following COVID-19 shut-down. Discussed later in this report.
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Maitai/9.01/D Fir/4.3Ha
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Group resolved in September 2018 to
consider harvesting the remaining 3Ha in 2022 & to re-plant the rest of
the block in radiata.
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Marsden/42.06/D Fir/20.3Ha
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Group
resolved that this block not be cleared until the trees can be commercially
harvested around 2027 with a review in 2022.
Update
- PF Olsen/Peter Gorman/Landvision recommend that the assessment of the
harvesting date be undertaken in 2020 (not in 2022) and reported back to the
Group.
Refer
also item 3.2 below
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3.2 PF
Olsen/Landvision/Peter Gorman have reconsidered the Marsden Valley Block 42.06
set aside to be replanted in alternate species once harvested and recommend
that consideration be given to replanting this block in pinus radiata. Apart
from the visual backdrop, there are no environmental risks (if managed
correctly), in their view, in replanting this area commercially in radiata. An
option exists that the area at the top of the ridge (above the track) not be
replanted in radiata to minimise the risk of wilding
spread.
4. Tantragee Block
(Brook) harvesting
4.1 Subject to log
markets as a result of the Covid 19 lockdown and revised harvesting dates for
the Brook blocks, harvesting of the Tantragee Block is planned to follow the
harvesting of the Brook blocks either late 2020 or mid-2021. A communications
plan will be prepared well in advance of any works.
5. Tasman Pine
Forests and Waahi Taakaro harvesting
5.1 Tasman Pine
Forests has not confirmed a date for harvesting their block adjacent to the
Waahi Taakaro golf club (which will include the small area planted by them on
Council land). When work starts, it is expected to take one month and PF Olsen
will be monitoring the work to ensure that the trees on Council owned land are
harvested to the required standards.
5.2 Landvision has
recommended that on completion of harvesting by Tasman Pine that the Council
owned area (0.5Ha) be replanted in natives - likely a combination of kanuka and
totara.
6. Fire Risk
6.1 At the 27
November 2019 meeting, the Group was provided with an update (and copy) of the
meeting held on 25 November 2019 with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ),
Civil Defence Emergency Management (CD), Ngati Koata, PFOlsen and NCC Parks
staff.
6.2 The advice was
that FENZ were the lead in all forestry matters under s52 of the FENZ Act and
were happy with the processes they had in place with all the regions logging
operators, contractors and both councils.
6.3 The Group was
advised that FENZ would be the lead agency in deciding when forestry blocks in
the region were to be closed and that PF Olsen would adhere to that directive
and that no exemptions for any activity in those forests would apply.
6.4 The Group was
also advised that, with respect to NCC parks and reserves, that any closure of
these will also fall under the direction from
FENZ.
6.5 The Group
however requested that any Parks and Reserves procedures be brought back to
this Group for sign–off. Those procedures, prepared by Council officers,
are appended as Attachment 1 and officers will be present at the meeting to
answer any questions. The procedures have been reviewed and agreed to by Peter
Gorman, PF Olsen and FENZ.
6.6 Officer’s
advice provided at the 27 November 2019 meeting still applies – that
being that Council harvesting operators (PF Olsen) will take direction from
FENZ in the first instance as to when closures of forestry blocks are to take
place with no exemptions.
6.7 The Group
resolved in November 2019 that the Brook/York Landfill block fire risk
assessment change from a new fire break to a regular mowing regime. That work
has commenced.
7. Health and Safety
7.1 There are no
Health and Safety issues nor Safe Work Observations (SWO’s) to report
since 27 November 2019.
8. Finance
8.1 Harvesting net
revenue for the quarter was $351,948 against the full year budget of $671,619.
Refer to Attachment 2 – PF Olsen Quarterly report October-December 2019.
8.2 Under normal (ie
pre COVID-19 shutdown) circumstances the 31 March 2020 Forestry meeting would
have taken place and the PF Olsen Quarterly report January-March 2020 would not
have been available. With the 31 March meeting delayed, the Quarterly Report
January to March 2020 has been received and is attached to this report for
completeness. Refer to Attachment 3.
8.3 An updated
summary of Council budgets is appended as Attachment 4.
8.4 PF Olsen will
update the Group at the meeting on the implications of overseas markets for
logs and returns for NCC following the outbreak of the Covid 19
virus.
9. Harvesting
9.1 The Group, with
respect to the harvesting of the Brook blocks (22/08, 22/02, 22/06 and 22/05), resolved
on 27 November 2019 as follows:
“That
the harvesting dates, following consultation with the stakeholders and
concessionaires, for the Nelson City Council owned Brook blocks will be July to
September 2020”.
9.2 The new July to
September 2020 harvesting dates were revised from the original 7 Oct to 15
November 2019 dates following feedback from the concessionaires that this would
affect their businesses.
9.3 The Group were
also advised at the November meeting that some concessionaires had requested
exemptions that would allow them to operate in the blocks during harvesting.
9.4 The advice from
officers was that no exemptions should be considered. This advice was confirmed
by PF Olsen on health and safety grounds. It was also noted that this is the
standard operating procedure of Ngati Koata with respect to their forestry
blocks.
9.5 The Group
however, requested that officers advise the concessionaires of the agreed
harvesting dates and allow them the opportunity to present to the Group their
reasons for requesting exemptions.
9.6 All
concessionaires were advised of the revised agreed harvesting dates and of this
meeting and have been offered the opportunity to attend the public forum.
9.7 However, as a
result of the COVID-19 lockdown, the previously approved harvesting dates of
July to September 2020 for the Brook have been further delayed and PF Olsen
have suggested revised harvesting dates of September to November 2020.
9.8 These revised
dates have been shared with all concessionaires and feedback had been received
from Gravity, Wheel Woman and Sally Vincent – all expressing some concern
at the revised dates. Their reasons, which officers acknowledge are valid,
include these dates eating into the busy business period and follows the fire
and COVID-19 shut-downs that has affected their businesses. Gravity also has a
concern that this closure would come at a time when Nelson would also be trying
to show-case its mountain biking credentials to the world through upcoming
international events scheduled for 2021. At time of writing, no official
feedback had been received from the Mountain Bike Club.
9.9 Helibike has
advised that they have no major concerns with the timing and they accept that
harvesting needs to take place. They have requested that Council consider
practical ways to keep anything open that can be open.
9.10 There are four events
expected to take place in the possible revised period (September to November)
– the Coppermine Race and three annual Mountain Bike Club races. However,
Council has not yet received bookings or confirmation of these events. The revised
dates would still allow the Dun Mountain run, scheduled at the end of August to
go ahead (if it were to still go ahead).
9.11 The Enduro event scheduled
for 2020 has been potentially re-scheduled to take place in April 2021, with
October 2021 as the fall back. Harvesting this year will therefore not affect
this event.
9.12 The complexity of
determining a suitable harvesting date has two different competing drivers. The
first driver being that having the forestry industry re-commence harvesting is
both critical and essential to the economic growth of the region and to
Councils income. The second driver is that small businesses have also been
severely affected by the COVID-19 shut-down and are both struggling and
vulnerable.
9.13 This is unfortunately no
simple decision. The Brook harvesting does need to take place and has already
been pushed out just short of 12 months. It will be replanted in natives and
won’t be part of the commercial forestry asset going forward. The
Tantragee harvesting which needs to happen as it has been identified as urgent
is planned to follow the Brook harvesting.
9.14 The Brook harvesting
estimated volume is around 6,000 tonnes with an expected net revenue to Council
of around $180,000.
9.15 There are two options to be
considered, with advantages and disadvantages as shown in the table below:
9.15.1 Option 1 – proceed with the Brook
harvesting on the revised dates of September to November 2020; or
9.15.2 Option 2 - wait a year until July to
September 2021.
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Advantages
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· Will allow
forestry, essential to regional economic recovery, to commence
· Will allow area
to be replanted in natives sooner
· Will allow
urgent Tantragee harvesting to take place
· Will not affect
the 2021 Enduro event
· Would not affect
the Dun Mountain run
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Risks and Disadvantages
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· Not
supported by some concessionaires
· Would
delay COVID-19 small business recovery
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Advantages
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· Allows
concessionaires and small business to recover earlier from the COVID-19
shut-down
· Will not affect
the 2021 Enduro event
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Risks and Disadvantages
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· Delays regional
economic recovery
· Disruption to PF
Olsen’s harvesting contractors work programme
· Delays urgent
Tantragee harvesting
· Delays
replanting in natives
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9.16 Notwithstanding any change
in harvesting date, officer’s advice provided at the 27 November 2019
meeting still applies - that being that exemptions to Council owned forestry
blocks during active forestry harvesting operations should not be
approved.
Ngati Koata and Tasman Pine
9.17 It was reported at the 27
November 2019 meeting that Ngati Koata (through Tasman Pines Forests) planned
to harvest their Brook blocks between 1 May and mid-June 2020. Ngati Koata have
since advised that they are not planning to harvest in the Brook area at all
during 2020.
Bridges
9.18 Due to bridge contracting
delays, the Maitai harvesting will be deferred to 2020/21.
9.19 PF Olsen in consultation
with NCC officers have completed an options analysis on both bridges. PF Olsen
are proceeding with resource consents on both bridges and have secured
Thelin’s to undertake the work.
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Forest
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Maitai
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Roding
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Design
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Multi span
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Single span
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Estimated cost (ex GST)
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$340,000 (20% contingency)
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$280,000 (20% contingency)
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Proposed start date
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July 2020
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September 2020
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Logging routes from the
Maitai and Brook blocks
9.20 The Group resolved on 27
November 2019 as follows:
“Notes
that PF Olsen logging trucks for Brook harvesting will operate in conjunction
with what has been agreed with the community at this point in
time”.
9.21 Officers have researched
the resolutions of Council where this issue was first raised in January 2002.
9.22 Officers can advise that
following a presentation from members of the public from the area
(Nile/Tory/Milton) at a special meeting of Council on 7 March 2002, Council
resolved as follows:
“That the
voluntary conditions offered by Carter Holt Harvey in its letter of 1 March,
and the alternative route proposed (Nile, Collingwood and Halifax Street and
Haven Road) for logging truck access to and from Hira Forest be
accepted”.
9.23 For completeness, the
conditions offered up by the major private forestry owner at the time in 2002
were:
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Restrict logging traffic to Nile, Collingwood and Halifax and into
Haven Road in preference to the existing Nile, Tory, Milton Street
route;
- The
maximum speed limit through the city of 40 km/h;
- Loads
of short logs to have a belly chains;
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Investigate requiring transport operators to restrain securing chains on empty
trucks to reduce or avoid clanking;
- Log
truck drivers are to use radios to communicate their position to avoid having
two log trucks on narrower sections of road;
- Limit
log trucks operation through the city between 10pm and 6am;
- Prevent
truck movements along the defined route between 8-9am and 3-4pm during the
school term;
- Avoid
logging traffic along the defined route from 1 December to 31 January
inclusive.
9.24 Whilst these conditions,
agreed by Council do not specifically prohibit trucks movements past schools
during school terms between the hours of 8-9am and 3-4pm, officers recommend
for both practical reasons and to limit the potential cost implications of
trucks having to park-up for several hours during school terms, that trucks be
allowed to pass schools during school terms at a reduced speed of 30km/h. This
makes the requirements on logging operators more onerous than the existing
condition.
9.25 Finally, the condition to
avoid logging between 1 December and 31 January is deemed too restrictive and
it is recommended that this be relaxed to no logging between mid-December and
mid-January inclusive.
Other
9.26 PF Olsen, as part of the
Roding forest thinning work, will be collecting pine cones (which are of
sufficiently strong genetics) that their seed orchard in Marlborough will use
for future tree growth. PF Olsen will pay for all the cone collection and
delivery costs, and pay Council $40/kg of seed extracted. This will potentially
work out at approximately $300 to $500 per hectare, which will in part offset
the thinning operational costs.
10. Alternate Uses
10.1 Council agreed to retire
approximately 140Ha of forestry and consider alternate uses and this Group has
approved the Alternate Use Plan. Refer to Attachment 5 for an update. Lachie
Grant (Landvision) will be in attendance to update the Group further.
11. Forestry Stewardship Council
Accreditation (FSC)
11.1 The Group requested that
the FSC accreditation be moved forward with some urgency and not be delayed as
previously agreed.
11.2 PF Olsen has finalised both
the draft FSC management plan and the draft consultation document. Those
documents are appended as Attachments 6 and 7. Any feedback from that
consultation will be considered for possible inclusion in the final plan before
seeking accreditation.
11.3 The proposed consultation
timeframe is as below:
· June: Commence
consultation.
· July: Consultation
closes.
· August: Complete review
of consultation feedback, amend (as appropriate) the management plan and bring
back to the Group for sign-off.
· Certification sought.
Author: Alec
Louverdis, Group Manager Infrastructure
Attachments
Attachment 1: A2240085
- Fire Risk Procedures ⇩
Attachment
2: A2355548 - Quarterly Report - Q2 ⇩
Attachment
3: A2375160 - Quarterly Report - Q3 ⇩
Attachment
4: A2355539 - Forestry Accounts ⇩
Attachment
5: A2355460 - Alternative species update ⇩
Attachment
6: A2375777 - FSC Management Plan ⇩
Attachment
7: A2376174 - FSC Management Plan Consultation ⇩
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Important considerations for decision making
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1. Fit with Purpose of
Local Government
The regular updates support the effective and
efficient management of Council’s productive forests and through best
practices and sustainability contributes to Local Government well-beings of
social, economic, environmental and cultural.
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2. Consistency with
Community Outcomes and Council Policy
The Group aligns with the
following outcome: “Our Council provides leadership and is supported by
an innovative and sustainable economy”.
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3. Risk
The Group has been set up to specifically have an
oversight on all things relating to forestry to reduce the risk to Council.
Accepting the recommendations in this report
reduces risk to Council because the processes discussed with respect to
logging adhere to established PF Olsen practices of managing logging blocks
and the management of fire follows protocols developed by FENZ as governed by
the FENZ Act. The risk to Council of allowing access into forests that are
being logged or closed by FENZ is very high and places the liability on
Council.
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4. Financial impact
The Group has been set up to monitor forestry
activity and to manage income and expenses accordingly. All expenditure
recommended in this report is in line with this oversight.
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5. Degree of significance
and level of engagement
This report has matters that are of high
significance such as fire risk.
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6. Climate Impact
Commercial pine forestry and harvesting is a
sustainable practice. Where pine forests are earmarked for alternate use they
will be planted in natives contributing positively to climate change
mitigation.
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7. Inclusion of Māori in
the decision making process
Māori have not been consulted in the
preparation of this report.
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8. Delegations
The Group’s Terms of Reference powers to
decide include:
“a. Forestry
and harvesting management plans (including replanting) as prepared by the
Forestry contractor and endorsed by the independent forestry external expert;
b. Engagement
of consultants required to undertake all works necessary to guide
recommendations to the Commercial Subcommittee and Council.”
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Forestry Advisory Group
