Forestry Subcommittee Minutes - 23
June 2021
Present: Mr
J Murray (Chairperson), Her Worship the Mayor R Reese, Councillors K Fulton and
T Skinner, Independent Forestry Expert P Gorman, Group Manager Infrastructure A
Louverdis
In
Attendance: PF Olsen representative (S Nuske), LandVision Ltd
representative (L Grant), Governance Advisers (J Brandt and K McLean)
Apologies : Nil
1. Apologies
There were no apologies.
2. Confirmation of
Order of Business
There was no change of order.
3. Interests
There were no updates to the
Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.
4. Public Forum
4.1. Teal Valley Residents
Representation - Aerial Spraying Operations of Tasman Pine Forest Ltd That
Covers Both Nelson and Tasman Forestry.
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Nadine Connock spoke to the item on behalf of Teal Valley
Residents. She noted their concerns about the Forestry Stewardship Council
and the detrimental impact of agri-chemicals on fertile land and waterways.
Speaking notes were tabled (A2692299).
The Subcommittee noted that the concerns raised by Ms
Connock were regulatory in nature, such as noise pollution, environmental contamination,
breaches of practices and standards, and therefore matters for the
Environment and Climate Committee. However, Her Worship the Mayor and the
Chair of the Environment and Climate Committee, Councillor Fulton, noted they
would look into the matters raised by Ms Connock.
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Attachments
1 A2692299 -
Forestry Subcommittee 23Jun2021 - Public Forum - Speaking Notes - N Connock -
Teal Valley Residents
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5. Confirmation of
Minutes
5.1 23
March 2021
Document number M16512, agenda
pages 4 - 6 refer.
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Resolved FS/2021/004
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That the Forestry
Subcommittee
1. Confirms
the minutes of the meeting of the Forestry Subcommittee, held on 23 March
2021, as a true and correct record.
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Skinner/Murray Carried
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6. Chairperson's Report
Document number R25953
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There was no
Chairperson’s report.
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7. Forestry Update -
Number 15
Document number R23768, agenda
pages 7 - 20 refer.
Team Leader Parks and Facilities
Activity Management, Paul Harrington, supported by Manager Community
Engagement, Paul Shattock, presented the report.
With regard to the Tantragee
Block harvesting, Mr Shattock answered questions about communication and
engagement undertaken with residents to address access, alternative
accommodation and safety measures. Mr Nuske noted that one resident would
remain within the exclusion zone during the harvest and that a specific risk
management plan involving a bespoke barrier was being developed.
Mr Harrington answered questions
about the future of the Brook blocks, retirement from commercial forestry
post-harvest, and replanting plans.
Mr Nuske answered questions about
weed-spraying programmes and chemicals being used, in accordance with the Nelson
Plan and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Mr Nuske answered questions about
the PF Olsen Quarterly Forest Report, including trends in log prices, global
demand and operational aspects of forest management such as fertilising
regimes. Mr Gorman answered questions about the long-term sustainable
productivity of forest activity.
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Resolved FS/2021/005
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That the Forestry
Subcommittee
1. Receives the report (R23768) and its
Attachments (A2669723, A2669570 and A2679734).
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Fulton/Skinner Carried
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There being no further business the meeting ended at 2.05p.m.
Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings:
Chairperson
Date
Item 7: Forestry Update
- Number 16
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Forestry Subcommittee
29 September 2021
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REPORT R26006
Forestry
Update - Number 16
1. Purpose
of Report
1.1 To
provide an update to the Forestry Subcommittee on forestry activities
undertaken since Council adopted the Forestry Review recommendations in
September 2016, and since the June 2021 update.
2. Recommendation
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That
the Forestry Subcommittee
1. Receives
the report Forestry Update - Number 16 (R26006) and its Attachments
(A2738154, A2738155, A2742664, A2719738, A2738156 and A2742185);
and
2. Notes
that the harvesting of blocks in the Maitai Valley will commence in October
2021; and
3. Approves
the harvesting of around 15Ha of Block 42.05 (Marsden Valley) to
occur in 2021/22, one year ahead of schedule.
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3. Harvesting
Bridges
3.1 An
update of the progress with the bridges is shown below.
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Maitai
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Work is nearing completion.
Scheduled to be completed within 3 weeks of coming out of COVID-19 lockdown.
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Roding
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Resource consent lodged. Design
completed. Work will likely commence in spring subject to coming out of
COVID-19 lockdown.
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Brook harvesting
3.2 Brook
harvesting (refer to attachment 1, A2738154) is well underway with:
3.2.1 Phase
1 - Atmore Terrace (blocks 22-8 and 22-2) – Scheduled to be completed one
week following coming out of COVID-19 lockdown.
3.2.2 Phase
2 - Tantragee Block - see below for more information.
3.2.3 Phase
3 - Blocks 22-6 and 22-5 (situated above the P51 mountain bike trail including
the Viral Flow trail). Will proceed after completion of phase 1 – likely
to be completed end September.
3.3 Information
on reserve closures due to the harvest is available on Council’s website
and stakeholders have been regularly updated. The public were informed through
media articles following a press release on 29 April 2021. Articles were also
included in the printed newsletter delivered to all households and on social
media.
Tantragee Block harvesting
3.4 Tantragee
harvesting, which commenced on 28 July, is complete and was undertaken with no
issues and ahead of schedule reflecting the excellent and detailed harvesting
planning (including the health and safety plan) undertaken by PFOlsen, and the
excellent communication planning undertaken by officers. Refer to picture below
showing removed trees and poisoned trees.
3.5 Native
planting has commenced (approximately 30% completed). The remediation of the
Dun Mountain track will follow on completion of all planting and dependent on
coming out of COVID-19 lockdown.
3.6 The budget for this work
was estimated at $500,000. Whilst actual costs are still to be determined,
provisional costs are estimated to be $300,600 as detailed hereafter (and
excludes $31,000 estimated income from logs harvested):
3.6.1 Harvesting
costs (including transport and clean-up) - $137,000;
3.6.2 Planning/consultants
(2018 to present)- $90,000;
3.6.3 Safety
containers and traffic management (equipment and personnel) - $67,000;
3.6.4 Resident
alternative accommodation - $5,600;
3.6.5 Bridge
Street collective hot desk - $800;
3.6.6 Lunch/coffee
vouchers - $200.
Maitai
harvesting
3.7 Harvesting
in the Maitai Valley (located up Bob Taylor Road) is scheduled to commence from
early October to December 2021. This includes a total area of 20Ha on blocks
2/01, 2/03, 3/04, 3/03 and 4/05 (partial). Refer to Attachment 2 (A2738155) for
layout.
Marsden Harvesting
3.8 Following
the recent heavy rainfall at the end of August that resulted in many slips
around the region, Block 42.05 in Marsden Valley was damaged not only from that
rainfall event (and subsequent rain), but also from the accompanying high
winds. Refer to Attachment 3.
3.9 The
damage to the block includes a large number of trees knocked over (around 2 Ha)
as well as damage to the access roads from slips. Those trees are valuable and
if left to rot they will be worthless, and will pose a significant health and
safety issue going forward.
3.10 Block
42.05 is around 25Ha, with the trees around 27 years old and at maturity age
for harvesting. This block was scheduled for harvesting in 2022/23.
3.11 The
area deemed to be economically harvestable now is around 15Ha. Harvesting these
trees now has taken on a degree of urgency and it is recommended that this
block be harvested now – a year ahead of schedule.
3.12 Work
to remedy the slips will be undertaken at the same time. This work is expected
to cost $60,000.
4. Tasman
Pine Forests and Waahi Taakaro harvesting
4.1 When
Tasman Pine Forests Ltd harvest the block adjacent to the Waahi Taakaro Golf
Club, the work will also include harvesting the small area planted by them on
Council land. This work is expected to take one month, and PF Olsen will
monitor the work to ensure that the trees on Council owned land are harvested
to the required standards. The small area will be replanted with indigenous
species. No date as yet provided by Tasman Pine Forests for the
harvesting.
5. Health
and Safety
5.1 A
Safe Work Observation (SWO) was conducted in relation to the Brook/Tantragee
harvesting on 28 July 2021 attended by council officers, PF Olsen staff and the Chair of the Forestry
Subcommittee. No issues were identified.
6. Finance
6.1 An updated summary of Council budgets to June 2021 is
appended as Attachment 4 (A2719738) and
PF Olsen’s Annual Report will be presented to
the next Subcommittee meeting as it will only be ready in October.
6.2 A Valuation report is appended as Attachment 5
(A2738156).
7. Alternate
Uses
7.1 Council agreed to retire
approximately 140Ha of forestry and consider alternate uses and an Alternate
Use Plan has been approved. Refer to Attachment 6 (A2742185) for an update.
Lachie Grant (Landvision) will be in attendance to update the Subcommittee
further.
8. Alternative
Commercial Harvesting
8.1 Council
set aside funding in Y1 of the 2021-31 Long-Term Plan (LTP) to consider the
feasibility of alternative commercial species (other than pinus radiata).
8.2 Since
then, a further issue relating to forestry was raised at the 24 June 2021
Council meeting, where it was resolved as follows:
Requests a
report on the potential costs, scope, and high level implications (including
financial) of undertaking an independent review of Council's approach to
forestry in the 21/22 financial year, including considering developing a
regenerative forestry plan prioritising indigenous forest opportunities,
climate leadership and innovation to inform the Forestry Activity Management
Plan and Treasury Management Policy.
8.3 Officers
will combine these two pieces of work (Items 8.1 and 8.2) that will then guide
a high level report to be presented back to, in the first instance, the
Forestry Subcommittee in 2021/22, noting that the information from this work
only has to be ready to inform the next Forestry Activity Management
Plan.
Author: Alec
Louverdis, Group Manager Infrastructure
Attachments
Attachment 1: A2738154
- Brook Harvesting ⇩
Attachment 2: A2738155
- Maitai 2021 Harvest - location map ⇩
Attachment 3: A2742664
- Marsden Sketch Map ⇩
Attachment 4: A2719738
- NCC Forestry Accounts Summary at 30Jun2021 ⇩
Attachment 5: A2738156
- Forestry Valuation ⇩
Attachment 6: A2742185
- Alternative species update August 2021 ⇩
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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 Subcommittee has been set up to specifically
have an oversight on all things relating to forestry to reduce the risk to
Council. Key risks identified in this report relate to harvesting in the
Brook and Maitai, which are adequately mitigated by planned safety measures.
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4.
Financial impact
The Subcommittee has been set up to monitor
forestry activity and to manage income and expenses accordingly. Any
expenditure recommended in this report is in line with this oversight.
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5.
Degree of significance and level of engagement
The report deals with several matters that have
required individual engagement with individuals/groups.
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6.
Climate Impact
Commercial pine forestry and harvesting is a
sustainable practice and contributes positively to climate change
mitigation.
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7.
Inclusion of Māori in the decision-making process
Iwi have not been consulted in the preparation of
this report.
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8.
Delegations
The Forestry Subcommittee’s areas of
responsibility include:
Areas of
Responsibility:
· All matters relating to the commercial forestry
operational portfolio including environmental and recreational issues
Powers to Decide:
· In accordance with Council’s Annual Plan and
Long-Term Plan:
o Approval of forestry and harvesting management
strategy and plans
o Approval of the
engagement of contractors/consultants and forestry tenders
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