Minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Forestry Advisory Group

Held via Audio- Visual (Zoom)

On Tuesday 5 May 2020, commencing at 1.04p.m.

Present:              Mr J Murray (Chairperson), Her Worship the Mayor R Reese, Councillor R Sanson, Mr A Louverdis (Group Manager Infrastructure) and Mr P Gorman (Independent Forestry Expert)

In Attendance:    Councillor T Skinner, Sam Nuske (PF Olsen), Lachie Grant (Landvision), Team Leader Governance (R Byrne), Governance Support (K McLean) and Governance Adviser (E Stephenson)

Apologies :          Nil

 

 

1.       Apologies

 

          There were no apologies.

2.       Confirmation of Order of Business

There was no change to the order of business.

 

3.       Interests

There were no updates to the Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.

 

4.       Chairperson's Report  

          The Chairperson gave a brief verbal report.

5.       Gravity - Gravity's case for exemptions

Alistair Matthew, from Gravity, presented Gravity’s case for exemptions. A PowerPoint presentation (A2379920) was provided. Mr Matthew spoke regarding options to keep some mountain biking areas open during high fire risk and logging activity periods. He suggested Codgers Mountain Bike Park could become a safer biking hub and answered questions regarding staged logging phases and domestic tourism figures and advocated for a collaborative approach to track closures.
	Attachments 1    A2379920 - PowerPoint Presentation

 

5.       Helibike - to talk about Helibike's case for exemptions

Steve Newport, Helibike, presented Helibike’s case for exemptions and offered support for Mr Matthew’s proposal. He said that he felt that it was a sensible and logical solution to keep as much access to Codgers Mountain Bike Park as possible. He noted his concerns for other local track users and said that he would be happy to be part of a working group.

6.       Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust - to talk about the Trust's case for exemptions

Gillian Wratt, Chair of Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust, presented the Trust’s case for exemptions. A PowerPoint presentation (A2379917) was provided. Ms Wratt gave background about the Trust and its work and advocated for managed cycling groups to have some access to Maungatapu Track and the Coppermine Trail. In response to a question of whether she had any experience of other organisations working with local bodies to manage this, she offered to follow up with the national organisation.
	Attachments 1    A2379917 - PowerPoint Presentation

 

6.       Forestry Update - Number 11

Document number R13660, agenda pages 6 - 162 refer.

Group Manager, Infrastructure, Alec Louverdis, presented the report.   He tabled additional information that had been circulated to members (A2380562, A2380566, A2380569 and A2380570), discussion took place and questions were answered regarding each section of the report. During discussion the following amendments to the recommendations were agreed: 

·        Fire risk, noting that Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) was the lead agency regarding closures of forestry and granting of exemptions and the Sports and Recreation Committee was responsible for parks and reserves. Following discussion, clause 5 of the recommendation was amended to remove reference to parks or reserves, which were the responsibility of the Sports and Recreation Committee, and to state that no exemptions would be granted unless an exemption was issued by FENZ. It was noted that concessionaires should liaise with FENZ regarding exemptions.

·        Fire Risk Procedures. It was noted that these had already been presented to the Sports and Recreation Committee and that it was more appropriate that the Forestry Advisory Group note them, rather than approve them and clause 8 of the recommendation was amended accordingly.

The meeting was adjourned from 3.00p.m. until 3.14p.m.

·        Harvesting -  following further discussion regarding the health and safety of track users, the impact on other logging schedules, the impact on tourism and major events and the economic recovery of both the logging harvesters and concessionaires it was agreed in clause 2 of the recommendation that the harvesting of the Brook blocks would take place between the period of July to September 2021.

·        Logging routes – discussion took place on existing and proposed changes to conditions, mitigation and management, and the importance of safety for school children. Following discussion, the conditions in clause 6 of the recommendation were amended to remove the avoidance of logging traffic along the defined route from mid-December to mid-January, which was considered too restrictive, and to agree in principle to truck movements along the defined route between 8-9a.m. and 3-4p.m. during the school term, but at no speed greater than 30kph, subject to engagement with Council’s transport safety officer and schools being undertaken. Councillor Sanson noted her concerns and objection regarding the truck movements between 8-9a.m. and 3-4p.m. during the school term.

Discussion took place on the Marsden Block 42.06 and questions were answered about the review, the Emissions Trading Scheme, the Block’s prior use and transition to carbon farming. The economic value to Council was estimated to be in excess of $750,000 by replanting in pine.

Councillor Sanson requested that her vote against bullet point 6 of clause 6, regarding truck movements during the school term be recorded.

It was clarified that the matter of truck movements past schools during between 8-9a.m. and 3-4p.m. during the school term would be brought back to the Group for further consideration.

Resolved FAG/2020/015
	That the Forestry Advisory Group 1.        Receives the report   (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 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 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 following any directive from Fire Emergency New Zealand to close any Nelson City Council owned forestry blocks unless an exemption is issued by Fire Emergency New Zealand; 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: - The maximum speed limit through the city of 40kph; and - Loads of short logs to have belly chains; and   - Requiring transport operators to restrain securing chains on empty trucks to reduce or avoid clanking; and - Log truck drivers are to use radios to communicate their position to avoid having two log trucks on narrower sections of road; and - Limit log trucks operation through the city between 10pm and 6am; and - Truck movements are agreed in principle along the defined route between 8-9am and 3-4pm during the school term, but at no speed greater than 30kph, subject to engagement with Council’s transport safety officer and schools being undertaken; and 7.        Instructs officers to write to all logging operators requesting compliance with the conditions in recommendation 6 of Report R13660; and 8.        Notes the Fire Risk Procedures (Attachment A2240085 of Report R13660); and        9.        Approves the Draft Forestry Stewardship Council Accreditation Management Plan (Attachment 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.
Murray/Sanson                                                                             Carried
Councillor Sanson voted against bullet point 6 of clause 6 of the motion.
Attachments 1    A2380562 - Forest Management Plan - Appendix Four and Five 2    A2380566 -  SNA Orphanage Creek Assessment 3    A23850569 - SNA 186 Report 2008 4    A2380570 - SNA 188 Report 2008

      

There being no further business the meeting ended at  5.14p.m.

 

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings:

 

 

                                                       Chairperson                                     Date