QLDC Draft Plan for Coronet Forest Harvest

Date:

Jul 17, 2018

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has prepared a draft Outline Plan for the harvest and revegetation programme for Coronet Forest.

Established over several years between 1984 and 1996, the forest consists of 172.5 ha of Douglas fir and is a significant seed source contributing to the wilding pine problem on neighbouring indigenous tussock grassland.

QLDC General Manager Community Services, Thunes Cloete said the forest is being harvested early in order to eliminate the substantial impact the forest’s seeds will have on the ongoing wilding control programme.

“The Council adopted the Coronet Forest Management Plan 2017 at their August 2017 meeting. This plan contains details of the early harvest and revegetation programme which helps address the wilding pine problem and returns a large area of local landscape to native planting. QLDC acknowledges that this decision, although necessary, has seen some resistance. But as well as being a good return on investment the goal is to protect our local natural environment for generations to come,” said Dr Cloete.

Coronet Forest is owned by QLDC and Central Otago District Council (CODC) under a joint venture arrangement. CODC has agreed to the early felling of the forest.

QLDC Senior Parks & Reserves Officer (Forestry), Briana Pringle confirmed that QLDC has appointed PF Olsen Limited to manage the harvest.

“Our next step in the process is to engage suitably qualified and experienced contractors to undertake harvesting, roading and log cartage services for the harvest. We will be doing this over the next few months,” said Ms Pringle.

Funding for the revegetation programme was confirmed as part of the 2018-2028 Ten Year Plan by Council at is 28 June 2018 meeting.

QLDC has prepared the draft Outline Plan to harvest the forest in accordance with Designation 375 of the QLDC Partially Operative District Plan, and details are available on request.

ENDS 

For more information please contact the QLDC Communications team on 03 441 0499 or email communications@qldc.govt.nz

Due to the size of file, the draft Outline Plan has not been included with release and is available on request by emailing communications@qldc.govt.nz