West Coast Forest Industry and Wood Availability Forecast - June 2008
3 The plantation forest industry
Plantation forests were established on a small scale from the 1870s onwards, but the first major plantings were started at Mahinapua Forest (originally known as Rimu Forest) in 1922 by the New Zealand Forest Service. The State has always dominated ownership of the plantation forest resource on the West Coast.
As at 1 April 2006, there are an estimated 32 009 hectares of plantation forests on the West Coast.
Nurseries
There are no commercial forestry nurseries operating on the West Coast. Planting stocks are primarily sourced from nurseries in Canterbury and Nelson.
Forest owners
Timberlands West Coast Ltd
Timberlands West Coast Ltd (Timberlands) was established in 1990 as a state-owned enterprise to take ownership of the cutting rights to the Crown’s West Coast plantation forests. Timberlands has 22 dispersed plantation forests, mostly in the Grey District, with a total area of 27 500 hectares. Ngāi Tahu owns 85 percent of the land on which the forests are located. All Timberlands’ forests have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Radiata pine accounts for 80 percent of the Timberlands’ estate, with the balance comprising Douglas-fir and special-purpose species such as Tasmanian blackwood and cypress species. Timberlands is the dominant supplier of plantation grown logs on the West Coast with about 50 percent of the logs processed locally.
Timberlands has operated as a commercial forestry company based in Greymouth with the Crown as the sole shareholder through the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State Owned Enterprises. However, on 8 February 2008 the Minister for State Owned Enterprises announced that the assets of Timberlands are to transfer to Crown Forestry, a part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. (www.timberlands.co.nz)
South Pacific Forest Holdings
South Pacific Forest Holdings owns Lake Brunner Station. Within the property there are approximately 900 hectares of plantation forest, 2500 hectares of indigenous forest, 600 hectares of pastoral farm, plus the Lake Brunner Lodge at Mitchells. The company has owned the station since 1995 and has extensive development plans.
Other forest owners
The 2002 Agricultural Census results indicate that there are 140 plantation forest owners in the region with less than 40 hectares. The NEFD as at 1 April 2006 (MAF 2007) estimates that another eight own between 40 and 99 hectares, and seven own between 100 and 499 hectares.
Species composition
Radiata pine accounts for 23 095 hectares or 72 percent of the plantation estate, but is not as dominant as elsewhere in New Zealand. There are 3780 hectares of cypress species, 1114 hectares of Douglas-fir, 1609 hectares of other softwoods, and 473 hectares of Eucalyptus species recorded in the NEFD as at 1 April 2006 (MAF 2007) for the West Coast region.
Table 3.1: Plantation forest areas by species and territorial authorities (hectares, as at 1 April 2006)
| Buller District |
Grey District |
Westland District |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiata pine | 3 952 | 11 885 | 7 258 | 23 095 |
| Douglas-fir | 398 | 673 | 43 | 1 114 |
| Cypress species | 46 | 295 | 3 439 | 3 780 |
| Other softwoods | 478 | 583 | 548 | 1 609 |
| Eucalypt species | 364 | 58 | 51 | 473 |
| Other hardwoods | 123 | 66 | 1 749 | 1 938 |
| Total | 5 361 | 13 560 | 13 088 | 32 009 |
Source
NEFD as at 1 April 2006 (MAF 2007).
Radiata pine growing on the West Coast generally exhibits good tree form with small branches as a result of the low to medium soil fertility in most areas. It has long internodal lengths and wood of low density and light colouration. Pruned logs are suited to long-length clear and select grades and mouldings. Unpruned logs produce high quality cuttings grade lumber suitable for window and furniture components, finger-jointed products and finished goods. Growth rates are mostly low compared to elsewhere in New Zealand.
Douglas-fir is not a favoured species for the West Coast because of the region’s high rainfall, poor soils and competing weed growth: this makes establishment difficult and growth poor. It may be an alternative to radiata pine on some snow-prone sites.
Cypress species account for 12 percent of the region’s plantation estate. Macrocarpa (Cupressus macrocarpa), lusitanica (Cupressus lusitanica), and Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) are regarded as having potential to produce high quality timber on suitable sites.
Eucalypt species are generally unsuited to the West Coast as most soils do not encourage vigorous, healthy growth. Insect attack by the native pinhole borer (Platypus species) causes extensive timber degradation. Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) can be grown on sheltered, warm, moderately fertile sites.
Area-age class distribution
The radiata pine area-age class distribution shows a peak in planting in the early to mid 1980s and another in the mid to late 1990s that reflects a national surge in new planting at this time. There is a gap in the level of planting between the two peaks that will require careful management if a sustainable level of harvest is to be secured over this period.
Figure 3.1: Area-age class distribution for radiata pine by lustrum as at 1 April 2006
Source
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007.
The cypress resource is young with 71 percent being of age 10 years or less, providing the opportunity for growth in the future production of this high quality timber. The West Coast forest industry already has experience in growing and processing Lawson cypress in particular, with some sites now in their second rotation.
Figure 3.2: Area-age class distribution for cypress species by lustrum as at 1 April 2006
Source
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007.
Harvesting trends
The last decade has seen an almost complete transition on the West Coast from the harvesting of indigenous forests to the harvesting of plantation forests.
Figure 3.3: Estimated roundwood removals from plantation forests
Source
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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