Coast forestry ‘uncertain’

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 7

Coast forestry ‘uncertain’

Staff reporter Grey-mouth

“It would seem that a period of uncertainty will exist in the milling industry on the West Coast until the exotic forests come into production in the late 1980 s,” the Director-General of Forests (Mr M. J. Conway) said in Greymouth. On a visit to the West Coast with the Forest Development Council, Mr Conway said that the resources of indigenous forests were not sufficient to meet the long-term contractural demands of the milling industry.

The situation was critical in north and mid-Westland, and the only way to solve the problem was to increase the cut of indigenous timbers in the

south, although this would mean clear-felling forests on terraced lands which was bad forestry practice, and to use more saw logs in the beech project area of north Westland.

Mr Conway said that he was not suggesting something which should take preference over the beech project, but “the suggestion is that we be able to get podocarps and beech saw logs in the beech project area.” No decision on these alternatives was likely until the report on the beech project was received from the Finnish consultants. Another influencing factor could be the report on land use in Westland required by the Ministers of Forests and Lands.