Hawke’s Bay Forestry faces massive losses, as clean-up gets underway

27 APRIL 2023

Foresters in Hawke’s Bay face losses of up to $150 million in tree crops and infrastructure following Cyclone Gabrielle, as they work to support the clean-up of woody debris in the region.

Hawkes Bay Forestry Group (HBFG) member companies have been using their equipment and expertise to support landowners and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) to remove and process woody debris from impacted locations around the region, says James Powrie, Acting Chief Executive Officer, HBFG.

“Our foresters are extremely mindful of the communities in which they operate and are actively supporting HBRC’s clean-up programme with equipment, expertise and some finance,” says Powrie.

HBFG estimates that Hawke’s Bay foresters have collectively lost up to $150 million in tree crop loss and infrastructure alone. This excludes the financial loss from business interruption and damage to processing sites.

Earlier this month, HBRC released a report on the composition of woody debris in Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle. These findings support a deeper-dive analysis conducted by Interpine for HBFG, which is available here.

The aim of the Interpine analysis was to ensure foresters have a full understanding of the woody debris mix in the region and the risk profile for forestry estates on various terrain during extreme weather events, says Powrie.

“The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle has been devastating on our communities and our industry,” says Powrie. “We never want to see this level of damage again.”

Information on the clean-up work that forestry companies are doing in the region is available here.