Improving commercial forestry's social licence - Top of the South case study

Authors: Robert Miller, Andrew Wiltshire
Publication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2023, Issue N.Z.J.For. 68(2) 2023, pp 11 - 18, Aug 2023
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: This paper examines the standing of commercial forestry’s (‘forestry’s’) social licence to operate in the Top of the South (TOTS) region in the South Island of New Zealand. While harvesting practices and damage caused by forestry slash during Cyclone Gabrielle are currently to the fore in the media, they are not the only factors affecting forestry’s social licence. In the TOTS, sedimentation of the Marlborough Sounds and wilding conifer spread also affect commercial forestry’s social licence alongside many other influences. Foresters can expect that declining community support can lead to changes to government policy, such as increasing regulation. These are already happening with several policy changes introduced by the Government since the storm events that impacted the Gisborne District | Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) in the North Island earlier this year. In the TOTS, the leading forest companies are proactively implementing changes to harvesting practices, improving environmental performance and rebuilding community support. Some of these positive actions are listed in this paper. But if we look honestly after Cyclone Gabrielle, these actions are insufficient to protect us against the next big rainfall event. We need to do more and do it urgently. We especially need to be more serious about smaller harvest coupes, riparian management, harvest roading practice, innovation around replanting (alternative species, natural regeneration), as well as wilding conifer spread and who is paying for that spread to be controlled.

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