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1News
a day ago
- Politics
- 1News
Environmentalists see forestry changes as dangerous step for Tairāwhiti
Tairāwhiti environmentalists have called changes for commercial forestry under proposed Resource Management Act reforms "a slap in the face" and a return to weaker forestry regulations. Local groups are preparing to make submissions on proposed changes to the way forestry is managed after consultation on the Resource Management Act opened on Thursday. The proposals would make it harder for councils to have their own discretion in setting stricter rules to control tree planting. Gisborne District Council said the proposed changes grant both "real opportunities" and "some challenges". The Eastland Wood Council is still considering its options around submitting. ADVERTISEMENT Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti (MTT), the group behind a 12,000-signature petition that triggered the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use (MILU) in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa, claimed the Government was relaxing "already permissive forestry rules". The inquiry, published in May 2023, followed the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and other major storms, when woody debris, forestry slash and sedimentation flooded the region's land, waterways and infrastructure. At the time of the inquiry's findings, the previous Government announced actions to reduce the risk of a Gabrielle repeat. MTT spokeswoman and Ruatōria resident Tui Warmenhoven said, "We were promised stronger protections – what we're getting is deregulation dressed as reform". The proposed changes were "a slap in the face to the hundreds of whānau who've already paid the price for poor forestry regulations," said Warmenhoven in a group statement. Another part of the proposed changes will require a Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessment as part of all harvest management plans. It would also consider refining requirements to remove all slash above a certain size from forest cutovers. ADVERTISEMENT MTT welcomed the proposed requirement for Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessments, however, it warned "this would be ineffective without enforceable planning requirements and local oversight". "A slash assessment without an afforestation plan is meaningless – it's a partial fix that ignores the root of the problem," said Warmenhoven. "We've already seen what happens when forestry is left to regulate itself and the problems with planting shallow-rooting pine on erosion-prone slopes. We are also concerned about the removal of references to woody debris, given that whole pine plantations collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle and still line many waterways in the region." Last September, Eastland Wood Council chairman Julian Kohn said forestry firms were "bleeding money," with many companies finding Gisborne too costly to invest in. Speaking with Local Democracy Reporting, Kohn said Eastland Wood Council was still considering whether to submit its own response or work with other council members to make submissions. "We've been working closely with the minister and advocating for what we see needs to be real change in respect of some of the causes in the NES-CF [National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry]," said Kohn. "Our real concern is that the way the council is treating many of these consents and these enforcement orders are literally sending these forest companies to the wall." ADVERTISEMENT He said forestry companies would close if things continued the way they were, which would leave forests unmanaged and unharvested. "Next time we have a rain event, then some of those trees which have been locked up are going to come down the waterways, which is exactly what everybody wants to try to prevent." Gisborne District Councils director of sustainable futures, Jocelyne Allen, said the consultation documents came "as no surprise" as they were broad and aligned with what the council had seen in the Cabinet paper and Expert Advisory Group report. "The packages cover infrastructure, the primary sector, freshwater, and urban growth, all areas that matter deeply to our region. "There are real opportunities here, but also some challenges, and we're taking the time to work through both carefully," Allen said. The council intends to submit a response and will be taking a strategic and collaborative approach to doing so, including engaging with tangata whenua, whānau, hapū and iwi across the region and working through its sector networks, particularly the Local Government Special Interest Groups and Te Uru Kahika, said Allen. Before the announcement of the proposed changes, in an email to Local Democracy Reporting on Monday, Primary Industries and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said forestry played an important role in the economy and provided many jobs on the East Coast. ADVERTISEMENT "The Government is working closely with the Gisborne District Council and respected members of the forestry industry, farming and iwi to manage and reduce risk through better and more practical rules rather than blanket restrictions or bans." He said they are reviewing slash management practices and will amend the NES-CF so councils can focus on the most at-risk areas, lower costs and deliver better social and environmental outcomes. "We want them to focus on high-risk areas, which is what Gisborne District Council is currently doing, rather than suggesting that there should no longer be any forestry in the Tairāwhiti region," he said. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Environmentalists See Forestry Changes As Dangerous Step For Tairāwhiti
Article – Zita Campbell – Local Democracy Reporter Gisborne residents call proposals 'a slap in the face' amid forestry concerns. Tairāwhiti environmentalists have called changes for commercial forestry under proposed Resource Management Act reforms 'a slap in the face' and a return to weaker forestry regulations. Local groups are preparing to make submissions on proposed changes to the way forestry is managed after consultation on the Resource Management Act opened on Thursday. The proposals would make it harder for councils to have their own discretion in setting stricter rules to control tree planting. Gisborne District Council (GDC) said the proposed changes grant both 'real opportunities' and 'some challenges'. The Eastland Wood Council (EWC) is still considering its options around submitting. Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti (MTT), the group behind a 12,000-signature petition that triggered the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use (MILU) in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa, claimed the Government was relaxing 'already permissive forestry rules'. The inquiry, published in May 2023, followed the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and other major storms, when woody debris, forestry slash and sedimentation flooded the region's land, waterways and infrastructure. At the time of the inquiry's findings, the previous Government announced actions to reduce the risk of a Gabrielle repeat. MTT spokeswoman and Ruatōria resident Tui Warmenhoven said, 'We were promised stronger protections – what we're getting is deregulation dressed as reform.' The proposed changes were 'a slap in the face to the hundreds of whānau who've already paid the price for poor forestry regulations', said Warmenhoven in a group statement. Another part of the proposed changes will require a Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessment as part of all harvest management plans. It would also consider refining requirements to remove all slash above a certain size from forest cutovers. MTT welcomed the proposed requirement for Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessments, however, it warned 'this would be ineffective without enforceable planning requirements and local oversight'. 'A slash assessment without an afforestation plan is meaningless – it's a partial fix that ignores the root of the problem,' said Warmenhoven. 'We've already seen what happens when forestry is left to regulate itself and the problems with planting shallow-rooting pine on erosion-prone slopes. We are also concerned about the removal of references to woody debris, given that whole pine plantations collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle and still line many waterways in the region.' Last September, EWC chairman Julian Kohn said forestry firms were 'bleeding money', with many companies finding Gisborne too costly to invest in. Speaking with Local Democracy Reporting, Kohn said EWC was still considering whether to submit its own response or work with other council members to make submissions. 'We've been working closely with the minister and advocating for what we see needs to be real change in respect of some of the causes in the NES-CF [National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry],' said Kohn. 'Our real concern is that the way the council is treating many of these consents and these enforcement orders are literally sending these forest companies to the wall.' He said forestry companies would close if things continued the way they were, which would leave forests unmanaged and unharvested. 'Next time we have a rain event, then some of those trees which have been locked up are going to come down the waterways, which is exactly what everybody wants to try to prevent.' GDC's director of sustainable futures, Jocelyne Allen, said the consultation documents came 'as no surprise' as they were broad and aligned with what the council had seen in the Cabinet paper and Expert Advisory Group report. 'The packages cover infrastructure, the primary sector, freshwater, and urban growth, all areas that matter deeply to our region. 'There are real opportunities here, but also some challenges, and we're taking the time to work through both carefully,' she said. The council intends to submit a response and will be taking a strategic and collaborative approach to doing so, including engaging with tangata whenua, whānau, hapū and iwi across the region and working through its sector networks, particularly the Local Government Special Interest Groups and Te Uru Kahika, said Allen. Before the announcement of the proposed changes, in an email to Local Democracy Reporting on Monday, Primary Industries and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said forestry played an important role in the economy and provided many jobs on the East Coast. 'The Government is working closely with the GDC and respected members of the forestry industry, farming and iwi to manage and reduce risk through better and more practical rules rather than blanket restrictions or bans.' He said they are reviewing slash management practices and will amend the NES-CF so councils can focus on the most at-risk areas, lower costs and deliver better social and environmental outcomes. 'We want them to focus on high-risk areas, which is what GDC is currently doing, rather than suggesting that there should no longer be any forestry in the Tairāwhiti region,' he said.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Environmentalists See Forestry Changes As Dangerous Step For Tairāwhiti
Tairāwhiti environmentalists have called changes for commercial forestry under proposed Resource Management Act reforms 'a slap in the face' and a return to weaker forestry regulations. Local groups are preparing to make submissions on proposed changes to the way forestry is managed after consultation on the Resource Management Act opened on Thursday. The proposals would make it harder for councils to have their own discretion in setting stricter rules to control tree planting. Gisborne District Council (GDC) said the proposed changes grant both 'real opportunities' and 'some challenges'. The Eastland Wood Council (EWC) is still considering its options around submitting. Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti (MTT), the group behind a 12,000-signature petition that triggered the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use (MILU) in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa, claimed the Government was relaxing 'already permissive forestry rules'. The inquiry, published in May 2023, followed the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and other major storms, when woody debris, forestry slash and sedimentation flooded the region's land, waterways and infrastructure. At the time of the inquiry's findings, the previous Government announced actions to reduce the risk of a Gabrielle repeat. MTT spokeswoman and Ruatōria resident Tui Warmenhoven said, 'We were promised stronger protections – what we're getting is deregulation dressed as reform.' The proposed changes were 'a slap in the face to the hundreds of whānau who've already paid the price for poor forestry regulations', said Warmenhoven in a group statement. Another part of the proposed changes will require a Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessment as part of all harvest management plans. It would also consider refining requirements to remove all slash above a certain size from forest cutovers. MTT welcomed the proposed requirement for Slash Mobilisation Risk Assessments, however, it warned 'this would be ineffective without enforceable planning requirements and local oversight'. 'A slash assessment without an afforestation plan is meaningless – it's a partial fix that ignores the root of the problem,' said Warmenhoven. 'We've already seen what happens when forestry is left to regulate itself and the problems with planting shallow-rooting pine on erosion-prone slopes. We are also concerned about the removal of references to woody debris, given that whole pine plantations collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle and still line many waterways in the region.' Last September, EWC chairman Julian Kohn said forestry firms were 'bleeding money', with many companies finding Gisborne too costly to invest in. Speaking with Local Democracy Reporting, Kohn said EWC was still considering whether to submit its own response or work with other council members to make submissions. 'We've been working closely with the minister and advocating for what we see needs to be real change in respect of some of the causes in the NES-CF [National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry],' said Kohn. 'Our real concern is that the way the council is treating many of these consents and these enforcement orders are literally sending these forest companies to the wall.' He said forestry companies would close if things continued the way they were, which would leave forests unmanaged and unharvested. 'Next time we have a rain event, then some of those trees which have been locked up are going to come down the waterways, which is exactly what everybody wants to try to prevent.' GDC's director of sustainable futures, Jocelyne Allen, said the consultation documents came 'as no surprise' as they were broad and aligned with what the council had seen in the Cabinet paper and Expert Advisory Group report. 'The packages cover infrastructure, the primary sector, freshwater, and urban growth, all areas that matter deeply to our region. 'There are real opportunities here, but also some challenges, and we're taking the time to work through both carefully,' she said. The council intends to submit a response and will be taking a strategic and collaborative approach to doing so, including engaging with tangata whenua, whānau, hapū and iwi across the region and working through its sector networks, particularly the Local Government Special Interest Groups and Te Uru Kahika, said Allen. Before the announcement of the proposed changes, in an email to Local Democracy Reporting on Monday, Primary Industries and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said forestry played an important role in the economy and provided many jobs on the East Coast. 'The Government is working closely with the GDC and respected members of the forestry industry, farming and iwi to manage and reduce risk through better and more practical rules rather than blanket restrictions or bans.' He said they are reviewing slash management practices and will amend the NES-CF so councils can focus on the most at-risk areas, lower costs and deliver better social and environmental outcomes. 'We want them to focus on high-risk areas, which is what GDC is currently doing, rather than suggesting that there should no longer be any forestry in the Tairāwhiti region,' he said.
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Gisborne District Council awarded $51k from forestry company in Environment Court decision
Gisborne District Council will recover half of over $100k in legal and expert witness costs from China Forestry Group (CFG), and management company Wood Marketing Services. Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti (MTT) was awarded $8500 in the same decision. Pictured: MTT spokesman Manu Caddie. Background: Photo / Paul Rickard Inset: supplied. Gisborne District Council has recovered half of just over $100,000 spent on what its legal representative described as 'avoidable' legal costs in an Environment Court decision against a Chinese-owned forestry company. , which the council says have resulted in forestry operators reducing risks and improving compliance.
Daily Maverick
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Ashley Saul's attempt at questioning foreign staff at universities shows a lack of understanding
Tshilidzi Marwala, the former vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, is now the Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo and a UN under-secretary-general. In August 2023, he was appointed to the United Nations Scientific Advisory Council. A global scholar in the field of artificial intelligence, Marwala is among South Africa's most distinguished academic international appointment is not only a personal honour — it is a reminder that our country has long been both a contributor to, and a beneficiary of, global academic exchange. The question now raised by some populist voices is: Should he and others like him return home to make space for natives of the countries in which they work? That, essentially, is the dangerous logic behind the latest xenophobic campaign, dressed up as concern for South African jobs in month, a Patriotic Alliance (PA) Member of Parliament, Ashley Sauls, accused universities of prioritising foreign nationals over South African academics, citing a single contested case at the Central University of Technology (CUT) and extrapolating it into an alarming generalisation. Sauls' confidence is matched only by his lack of understanding. He has taken one grievance and distorted it into a narrative that undermines both institutional integrity and our country's international standing. Struggling Let's be clear: South African universities are not flooded with foreign staff. They are struggling — still — to become truly representative of our demographics, values, and developmental priorities. But foreign nationals are not the obstacle. The real crisis lies in our failure to invest in and grow a new generation of black South African to the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) Report on the Recruitment, Retention and Progression of Black South African Academics, South Africans make up 88.4% of the academic staff in our universities. Foreign nationals — who often bring scarce expertise or participate in global research collaborations — constitute only 11.2% of the total academic importantly, many of those international academics are black Africans, whose presence in South African lecture halls should be a source of solidarity, not suspicion. The MTT report identified the real barriers to transformation: A shrinking and unequal postgraduate pipeline, especially in Stem and health sciences. Exclusionary institutional cultures that marginalise black scholars, particularly women. Poor working conditions and heavy teaching loads, leaving little room for research or advancement. Fragmented policy and funding support for initiatives like nGAP, which are critical to building black academic excellence. These are the bottlenecks. Not fellow scholars from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana or fact, many senior South African academics and vice-chancellors have benefitted from international exposure, studying or working in the US, UK, Germany, China, Brazil and across the continent. Are we now to punish those whose careers were sharpened abroad? Or suggest that they have no right to shape the institutions they now lead?It is precisely through international engagement that we sharpen our intellectual tools. South Africa collaborated with global institutions to develop and trial Covid-19 vaccines that saved millions of lives — right here, led by African scientists and researchers. That is what international collaboration looks like: not replacement, but suggest otherwise is to play directly into xenophobic populism, with dangerous consequences. The last time this rhetoric escalated, lives were lost. Shops were burned. Migrants were hunted. South Africa's reputation took a beating on the global may be right to raise a grievance about an individual hiring case at a university — but to generalise it into an anti-foreigner campaign is reckless and disingenuous. It's not transformation. It's be honest: if transformation was truly the concern, Sauls would be championing postgraduate funding, fixing NSFAS bottlenecks, defending nGAP, and holding universities accountable for succession planning. Scapegoating and political posturing Instead, what we get is easy scapegoating and political we need is not louder voices, but better ones. Let's cherish the black academics we can attract, from both South Africa and the continent, and build a system that grows more like them, with rigorous support, mentorship, and public us fix the real problems: underfunding, institutional inertia, a lack of coherence in building academic careers. But let us not turn fellow scholars into enemies. In the battle for transformation, our best allies are those who believe in justice, equity, and the power of shared knowledge. We don't build a better academy by building walls. We build it by growing our own — while learning with, and from, the world. DM
