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The Department of Conservation (DoC) has once again done an about-turn on a proposal to harvest about 80 hectares of pine forest from the historic reserve on Kawau Island.
Auckland inner islands operations manager Keith Gell says a key driver behind harvesting the pines was the risk of trees falling across tracks.
“This risk has been addressed by cutting down the ageing pines along the tracks so we are no longer planning to harvest the trees,” Mr Gell says.
Talk of harvesting the pines dates back to at least 1976 when a working plan was produced, but never implemented, due to lack of funding.
Then, in 2014, a report was produced by Jo Ritchie, of Treescape Environmental, which stated that DoC was spending around $80,000 a year reactively dealing with problem trees. Harvesting the trees was again considered the best long-term option.
The report estimated that there was about 40,000 tonnes of harvestable timber available and some of the proceeds of the harvest could be directed towards replanting in natives and rehabilitation.
The option of only dealing with dangerous trees, as per the current policy, was considered to be inadequate in respect to achieving appropriate long-term management.
However, Mr Gell says a 2014 report by commercial forest consultants PF Olsen estimated that harvesting all the ageing pines would cost $2 million.
“PF Olsen advised that harvesting was not commercially viable because the cost was too high and the operation would have run at a massive loss,” he says.
DoC currently spends around $57,000 a year felling individual pines that pose a threat, but the cost varies from year to year.
“The cost of managing these trees has risen as the trees age and the number that need felling gradually increases, but it is still far less than $2 million.”
Tracks that are open are the Mansion House to the site of the Coppermine Engine House, Sir George Grey Coach Road, Dispute Cove Road, Coppermine Track, Mansion House Valley, Schoolhouse Bay Road, Two House Bay Track to the lookout, Mansion Bay amenity area and gardens, and Track to Lady’s Bay providing access to the beach.
The Momona Track, Lady’s Bay to Dispute Cove Lookout and Miners Track have been closed for sometime and DoC has no plans to reopen them. The Redwood Track is currently closed, but DoC plans to reopen it once it has secured funding to make the track safe.
