West Coast Forest Industry and Wood Availability Forecast - June 2008
5 The indigenous forest industry
The West Coast forest industry developed from harvesting the region’s indigenous forest resource. These forests supplied most of the local wood processing industry until 1996, at which time the harvested volume decreased significantly. Harvesting from the Crown-owned indigenous forest ceased at 31 March 2002, and only very small volumes are currently harvested under Part IIIa of the Forests Act 1949 from privately owned indigenous forests.
Indigenous forests and ownership
Indigenous forests cover approximately 1 448 000 hectares, or 62 percent of the West Coast’s land area. There are three major forest types: beech; podocarp-hardwoods; and podocarp-hardwoods – beech. Rimu is the predominant podocarp. Indigenous hardwoods other than beech also grow with podocarps throughout the region.
The forests are generally dominated by beech with varying densities of podocarp (mainly rimu). The exception to this is the area between the Arnold River and Paringa River from which beech is completely absent. In Buller and North Westland, from west to east, podocarp and hard beech gradually give way to pure beech forest, with red and silver beech dominant.
The Crown owns approximately 1 338 000 hectares of indigenous forest, managed by the Department of Conservation. An estimated 110 000 hectares of indigenous forest are in private ownership.
Indigenous forest harvesting
Roundwood removals from indigenous forests decreased from 122 000 cubic metres in 1990 to 45 000 cubic metres in 1996 (following the end of the transitional measures under Part IIIa of the Forests Act), and to about 3000 cubic metres for the year ended March 2007.
Figure 5.1: Estimated roundwood removals from indigenous forests
Source
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Indigenous forests and sustainable management under the Forests Act 1949
As at March 2007 there were eight sustainable forest management plans and 124 sustainable forest management permits on the West Coast approved under Part IIIa of the Forests Act. The plans cover 1712 hectares with a total annual approved harvest of 2380 cubic metres of standing roundwood. The permits cover 6550 hectares with a ten-year total approved harvest of 30 168 cubic metres of standing roundwood.
For the year ended June 2006, the total log volume delivered to mills from these plans and permits, plus the minor provisions of Part IIIa of the Forests Act, was 3392 cubic metres.
Table 5.1: Indigenous timber volumes delivered to mill by species groups and species for the year ended June 2006
| Species group | Species | Log volume (cubic metres) |
|---|---|---|
| Softwoods | Rimu | 1 854 |
| Matai | 214 | |
| Kahikatea | 77 | |
| Miro | 62 | |
| Totara | 41 | |
| Total softwoods | 2 248 | |
| Beech | Red beech | 958 |
| Silver beech | 136 | |
| Hard beech | 44 | |
| Black beech | 2 | |
| Total beech | 1 140 | |
| Other hardwoods | Hinau | 3 |
| Southern rata | 1 | |
| Total other | 4 | |
| Total volume delivered to mill | 3 392 |
Source
Indigenous Forestry Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2006.
Forever Beech Ltd
Forever Beech Ltd is a private limited liability company based in Hokitika with the major shareholder being Development West Coast. The Company manages 4500 hectares of privately owned forest under sustainable forest management plans approved in accordance with Part IIIa the Forest Act 1949. These beech forests are located around the Murchison, Maruia and Inangahua valleys.
The sustainable forest management plans provide for an annual harvest of up to 7000 cubic metres per year (the bulk being from forests outside of the West Coast region). Log extraction is almost exclusively by helicopter. (www.foreverbeech.co.nz )
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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