Petition calls for overhaul of sector
Thousands sign petition even before boy’s death, Akula Sharma writes.
Nearly 9000 East Coast residents have signed a petition calling for a massive overhaul of the forestry industry, most of the signatures coming before a boy died at a slash-filled Gisborne beach.
The call for action comes as the region’s forestry collective, Eastland Wood Council, says it stands ready to take part in any inquiries into the death.
On January 25, a boy suffered fatal injuries in the surf at debris-filled Waikanae beach. He was knocked off a log he was riding and struck his head, the Gisborne Herald reported.
Petition organiser Manu Caddie said the the woody debris was the worst he had ever seen in Gisborne region’s beaches and waterways.
The petition, called Mana Taiao Tairā whiti, was signed by 8907 locals and has been presented to Gisborne District Council.
It calls for an independent inquiry into the regulations for land use in Tairāwhiti, prioritising a review of council land-use rules and requests the establishment of a ministerial group to support the development, implementation and monitoring of a regional Just Transition Plan.
“There is a lot of wood still sitting in catchments waiting for more rain,” Caddie said, adding he expected the cleanup would take at least a month.
“We have had one major weather event in every three months.”
There should be warning signs put up on the beach, he said.
“There is a small sign on the beach which tells people to keep away from machinery and the area where heavy equipment is being used, but there is nothing about going into the water.
“The council has said they have no power to close the beach but they do put up signs after heavy weather events so we need those reminders again until the risk is reduced.”
The family in this case were from out of town so might have not been aware of the risks, he said.
“Hopefully some lessons are learned, we need bilingual signs across all beaches in the region ... this is becoming life-threatening.”
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the council supported the concerns of t those who signed the petition.
“We want to acknowledge the financial as well as emotional impact log waste has on our whole community.
“As a community, we need to have discussions around how we will operate differently. We have heard your concerns and now we need to work alongside each other to leave a better legacy for our children and the community of Tairāwhiti.”
Stoltz said the petition highlighted several land-use issues the council was already aware of in the region.
It was a complex situation that required commitment from central government to make the “transformational change that’s needed”.
Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said there was potential to establish greater controls on steep, erosion-prone land.
“This might entail restricting certain land uses [such as forestry] on high-risk land or restricting how much of an area or catchment can be harvested within a set time period. We could also potentially require bonds or financial contributions for higher-risk land use activities.”
Thatcher Swann said new approaches to land-use could also be explored through the development of the Regional Spatial Strategy which would be required by the new Spatial Planning Bill currently being considered by a select committee.
Other groups such as Federated Farmers, Eastland Wood Council and Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust also backed the calls of the petition
Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust seeks inclusion as kaitieki if an inquiry into forestry practices was to be set up.
Kaihautū Teina Moetara has said: “Not only is this a climate change issue, forestry issue, planning issue, environmental issue, but it is a legal issue that requires consequences. With weather events becoming more frequent with climate change, the increased action of raw sewerage being released into our rivers is causing a detrimental impact on our rivers, ancestral seas and our kaitiakitanga role.”