New Zealand Government to Invest in a More Sustainable, Lower Impact Forestry Industry

New Zealand’s Forestry Minister Penni Henare announced Thursday (6-8-23) that the government is making a start on a more sustainable forestry industry with investments into a bioenergy plant, research into biomass, and better forestry practices.

“The Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use recognizes current forest harvest practices are not sustainable. In some parts of the country like Tairāwhiti, there is an urgent need to create a commercial use for harvest residues, such as forestry slash and other wood debris,” Henare said.

Alongside the $10 million (NZD) to immediately clean up slash and debris in Tairāwhiti and other weather-hit areas announced ahead of the 2023 budget, the government is investing an additional $10.4 million in wood biomass research.

Two other projects that are underway will aid the consenting of a bioenergy plant in Tairāwhiti to increase the productive use of slash, and also the development of business models for “continuous cover forestry” in New Zealand, which means trees will be cut down on a rotation, as a viable alternative to “clear-felling” or cutting then all down at once.