Forestry

The Southland District Council has just over 1,500 hectares of plantation forest, located in four main blocks at Dipton, Gowan Hill, Ohai, and Waikaia.

The forest, mainly radiata pine, is aged between ages one and 31 years and is now in a sustainable yield cycle, with regular harvesting programmes over the summer months.

Council's forestry activities are self-funding, and no ratepayer support is required.

The forests are retained as an alternative form of investment and dividends are returned to Council for general rate relief. 

During the past five years, a dividend averaging $505,000 per year has been paid into the Council's General Reserve. 

Forest Manager Roger Washbourn was appointed in 1996 to manage the Council's forest estate and an external independent consultant has been retained for audit purposes and advice. The Council's interests are maintained by a five member Forestry Operations Committee, which meets quarterly to monitor progress.

The Forests Management Plan documents the structure and details the strategies and objectives to ensure that management follows accepted 'best practice' commercial forestry principles. There are periodic revisions of a long-term (30-year) strategy. The forests have gained registration under ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems after auditing by independent authority Telarc SAI Ltd.

In addition to the main estate, there are a number of small woodlots and shelterbelts around utility areas (such as refuse sites, cemeteries and reserves, and effluent ponds) which are owned by the Council or its Community Boards.

The Forest Manager provides management advice and arranges for silviculture to be carried out on these resources. 

 

About this page

First added: 2 March 2009
Last updated: 23 June 2009

Who to contact

If you would like to discuss a matter on this page, feel free to contact us:

Southland District Council
P.O. Box 903
Invercargill 9840
Phone: 0800 732 732
Fax: 0800 732 329
emailsdc@southlanddc.govt.nz