More ‘debris traps’ planned for Tairāwhiti forestry

Another major forestry company is planning to construct debris traps in its Tairāwhiti/Gisborne forest areas.

These debris traps are installed in riverbeds to capture woody material flowing downstream while allowing water to pass through or over them. Similar to slash nets, these traps aim to prevent, or reduce damage, like that caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. This weather event resulted in large amounts of forestry debris washing out of Tairāwhiti forest blocks, damaging bridges, roads, farmland, and the city’s water supply, as well as causing widespread flooding.

Last month, Aratu Forests announced plans to install the first slash nets in Tairāwhiti. These Swiss-designed, high-strength steel cable nets will be placed on private properties adjacent to its plantations in the Te Marunga, Waimanu, and Wakaroa forests over the next few years, with resource consent applications expected to be submitted this month.

Now, Ernslaw One Ltd has announced its own plans for debris traps. Ernslaw One, which manages over 95,000 hectares of forest across New Zealand, has held resource consents to build debris traps in its West Ho Forest since 2020 and its Uawa Forest since 2019, though neither has been constructed yet.

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Source: Stuff