The Southern Environmental Working Group kicked off in Dunedin on 2 April 2025, and hosted by the Otago Regional Council. We started with a morning session dedicated to wilding pines, learning more about the national wilding pine programme, the importance of risk assessment and cone reduction spraying trials. We identified that we can do a lot more in the way of sharing skills and knowledge, in particular with how we capture and monitor data. It was great to meet our Clutha District council reps who are gearing up to be more active with forestry PA notifications and looking to connect … Read More
SEWG – 5th November 2024
“The working group travelled far and wide, as far as from Timaru to attend our yearly meeting hosted by Environment Southland. We spent the morning learning about Wilding Pines, Dam safety Regulations and had a session on different sediment control options, when to use, benefits and disadvantages. We also had an update from both Regional Councils on compliance monitoring, which highlighted some key issues for the industry, including ensuring that the land prep operators’ knowledge around slash and waterways is up to the same standard as our harvesting contractors. Installing storm water controls onto stable ground is fundamental and we … Read More
Recent Meeting: 4 July 2024 – SEWG, Tapanui
It was the industry’s turn to host our mid-year meeting. Our day saw us out and about in the Ernslaw One estate not far from Tapanui, we got to understand the work they have been doing to measure and monitor stream ecology and water quality over a long period of time, sparking a discussion around the quality of the national models we have to work with. They also showed us a recently harvested site highlighting how practices have significantly changed from the previous rotation in order to protect our waterways and included a lunch stop (shout-out to the SWC for … Read More
Recent Meeting: 27 Feb 2024 – SEWG, Dunedin
27th February 2024 – Otago Regional Council (ORC) and Wenita hosted the SEWG (Southern Environmental Working Group) in Dunedin. Covering topics from recent compliance trends with a focus on afforestation notifications, fire management processes within the industry highlighting the need for forestry companies to join forces to utilise skills and resources, to learning about a new soil health programme being implemented by ORC. The initial results highlighting the positive impact plantation forestry is having on our soil health. A session on ORC consent requirements for hauling over waterways was supported by a field visit to a Wenita Harvestline operation, assessing affects … Read More