Hawkes Bay Forestry Group – Woody debris cleanup activity

Hawkes Bay Forestry Group (HBFG) has a Memorandum of Understanding with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) to provide contractors, equipment and coordination services on a number of woody debris projects across the region. In return, HBRC is contributing financial support to offset the cost.

Why is HBFG helping if it’s not slash?

The woody debris that has been deposited in the affected areas includes Pinus radiata and forestry companies have the teams, machines and expertise to best handle this material.

What is happening where?

• The affected areas where forestry expertise can be best applied include Dartmoor, Omarunui, Esk River, Tangoio and Aropaoanui.
• HBFG companies are each overseeing a project, supported by company staff in-kind contributions.
• Woody material will be hogged (coarsely chipped) at the site using a mobile operation. Following consultation with affected landowners, the hogged material will either stay on site, be transported to another property, or taken as temporary roading material for landfill operations. A small percentage might be suitable to be burned as boiler fuel.
• Landowners are also using hogged woody biomass as a conditioning product to bring paddocks inundated with silt back to a composition that will support normal agricultural activities.

How is progress?

• Dartmoor – 50% completed
• Omarunui – scheduled
• Esk River – 20%
• Tangoio – scheduled
• Aropaoanui – 60% completed