Agenda of Forestry Subcommittee

Notice of the Ordinary meeting of

Forestry Subcommittee

Te Kōmiti Āpiti, Ngahere

Date: Tuesday 21 June 2022

Time: 9.00a.m.

Location: via Zoom

Agenda

Rārangi take

Chairperson Mr John Murray

Members Her Worship the Mayor Rachel Reese

Councillor Kate Fulton

Councillor Tim Skinner

Independent Forestry Expert Peter Gorman

and Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis

Quorum: 5, comprising the Chair and two elected member (decision makers), plus one Council officer and the independent forestry expert (for advice only)

Pat Dougherty

Chief Executive

Nelson City Council Disclaimer

Please note that the contents of these Council and Committee agendas have yet to be considered by Council and officer recommendations may be altered or changed by the Council in the process of making the formal Council decision. For enquiries call (03) 5460436.

Forestry Subcommittee

21 June 2022

Page No.

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

1. Apologies

An apology has been received from Her Worship the Mayor R Reese

2. Confirmation of Order of Business

3. Interests

3.1 Updates to the Interests Register

3.2 Identify any conflicts of interest in the agenda

4. Public Forum

5. Confirmation of Minutes

5.1 22 March 2022 5 - 7

Document number M19340

Recommendation

That the Forestry Subcommittee

1. Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Forestry Subcommittee, held on 22 March 2022, as a true and correct record.

6. Chairperson's Report

7. Forestry Update - Number 19 8 - 21

Document number R26778

Recommendation

That the Forestry Subcommittee

1. Receives the report Forestry Update - Number 19 (R26778) and its attachments (A2896464, A2896757 and A2897597).

Karakia Whakamutanga

Forestry Subcommittee Minutes - 22 March 2022

Minutes of a meeting of the

Forestry Subcommittee

Te Kōmiti Āpiti, Ngahere

Held in the via Zoom on Tuesday 22 March 2022, commencing at 1.02p.m.

Present: Mr J Murray (Chairperson), Her Worship the Mayor R Reese, Councillors K Fulton and T Skinner, Independent Forestry Expert P Gorman and Group Manager Infrastructure A Louverdis

In Attendance: Councillor R Sanson, and Governance Advisers (A Fon, K McLean)

Apologies : Nil

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

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. Public Forum

There was no public forum.

5. Confirmation of Minutes

5.1 1 December 2021

The minutes were updated to reflect the correction to Item 9 page 7 – he reported delays in health, safety and recreational considerations, should read ‘he reported delays in resource consenting considerations’

Document number M19127, agenda pages 4 - 7 refer.

Resolved FS/2022/001

That the Forestry Subcommittee

1. Confirms the amended minutes of the meeting of the Forestry Subcommittee, held on 1 December 2021, as a true and correct record.

Murray/Her Worship the Mayor Carried

6. Chairperson's Report

There was no Chairperson’s report for this meeting.

However, the Chairperson indicated that Mr Sam Nuske would be including information on current operations and markets.

7 Forestry Update - Number 18

Document number R26482, agenda pages 7 - 22 refer.

Group Manager Infrastructure, Alec Louverdis, presented the report and answered questions on ungulate control, Marsden, Maitai and Roding harvesting, Forestry High Level Review, carbon credit potential and budgets.

PF Olsen representative, Mr Sam Nuske, presented the quarterly report and noted that although the domestic and export log market was strong that this was balanced by high fuel costs and demand for ships.

Mr Nuske answered a question regarding disposal of slash, confirming that where practical the slash was diverted to other use such as landscaping supplies or bio fuel. If it was uneconomic to remove, then it was stockpiled away from waterways and will over time breakdown into mulch.

Landvision Limited representative, Mr Lachie Grant, updated the subcommittee on replanting alternative species.

Resolved FS/2022/002

That the Forestry Subcommittee

1. Receives the report (R26482) and its attachments (A2853830, A2853822 and A2823832).

Skinner/Fulton Carried

Karakia Whakamutanga

There being no further business the meeting ended at 1.40pm.

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings by resolution on (date)

Resolved

Item 6: Forestry Update - Number 19

Forestry Subcommittee

21 June 2022

REPORT R26778

Forestry Update - Number 19

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 March 2022 update.

2. Recommendation

That the Forestry Subcommittee

1. Receives the report Forestry Update - Number 19 (R26778) and its attachments (A2896464, A2896757 and A2897597).

3. Harvesting

Bridges

3.1 Roding bridge – work commenced on site in March.

Maitai harvesting

3.2 Harvesting in the Maitai Valley is almost complete.

Marsden Harvesting

3.3 Harvesting of Block 42.05 (around 15Ha) is complete.

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. PF Olsen will monitor this 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 has been provided by Tasman Pine Forests for the harvesting.

5. Health and Safety

5.1 No Safe Work Observations (SWOs) were conducted by NCC between January to March. PF Olsen continue to undertake regular internal SWOs.

6. Other matters

Forestry High-Level Review

6.1 All consultants have been appointed with peer reviews underway to progress the work to guide the high-level review. All work, once peer reviewed, will be presented to the Subcommittee as a package for review with that work guiding development of the next Forestry Activity Management Plan.

Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests

6.2 Council resolved on 17 November 2021 as follows:

2. Agrees to undertake a detailed assessment of all Council land under ownership and management for eligibility in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS); and

3. Requests that eligible Council owned and managed land (including exotic forestry) be registered into the Emissions Trading Scheme before 1 April 2022.

6.3 As noted previously, updates on this matter will be reported to both this Subcommittee and the Council. Council has engaged PF Olsen to do the detailed eligibility assessment (assisted by the 1989 aerial photography held by Council) and to manage the registration process as Council’s authorised representative.

6.4 The exotic forestry application was submitted in March, but is still to be registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) (who has advised that applications submitted before 30 April 2022 have a reasonable chance of being registered before 31 December 2022).

6.9 With respect to the indigenous forestry application the application has not been submitted by PF Olsen yet as they are dealing with a backlog within their spatial team. Once submitted it is unlikely to get registered by 31 December 2022 due to the delays from MPI. The number of units that could be earnt from the indigenous area over the current 5-year period is not large and depends on the area that MPI accepts. Other providers are also busy submitting applications, and Council would still face MPI's backlog regardless of which provider Council used. Officers are liaising with PF Olsen to move this matter forward and to give Council priority on this matter.

PF Olsen contract

6.10 PF Olsen’s initial term ends on 30 June 2022 and includes an extension term of five years. A forestry high level review is underway but irrespective of the outcome of that work, a contractor is required to manage Council’s forestry.

6.11 PF Olsen are performing well under the contract and their performance has been reviewed by the independent forestry expert and following discussion with the Chair the contract has been extended for a further 5 years.

7. Finance

7.1 An updated summary of Council budgets to December 2021 is appended as Attachment 1 (A2896464). PF Olsen’s quarterly report January to March 2022 is appended as Attachment 2 (A2896757).

8. Alternate Uses

8.1 Council agreed to retire approximately 140Ha of forestry and consider alternate uses and an Alternate Use Plan has been approved. Refer to Attachment 3 (A2897597) for an update. Lachie Grant (Landvision) will be in attendance to update the Subcommittee further.

Author: Alec Louverdis, Group Manager Infrastructure

Attachments

Attachment 1: A2896464 - Q3 Report Budget Summary 2021-22 ⇩

Attachment 2: A2896757 - PF Olsen NCC Quarterly Report - Q3 - 2021-22 ⇩

Attachment 3: A2897957 - Alternative Species Update 25 May 22 ⇩

Important considerations for decision making

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.

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”.

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.

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.

5. Degree of significance and level of engagement

The report deals with several matters that have required individual engagement with individuals/groups.

6. Climate Impact

Commercial pine forestry and harvesting is a sustainable practice and contributes positively to climate change mitigation.

7. Inclusion of Māori in the decision-making process

Iwi have not been consulted in the preparation of this report.

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: