East Coast can’t fell the forest for the trees

Forest harvesting has ground to a halt in some areas of Tairāwhiti as the region grapples with how to deal with thousands of hectares of radiata pine planted on the country’s most erosion-prone land.
Regulations governing forestry have come under the spotlight after the Gisborne district was hit by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle early last year, causing widespread flooding, erosion and environmental devastation from wood debris and soil.