政府任命协调人，推动恢复泰拉维蒂地区林业信心

林业部长 Todd McClay 正在任命一名协调人（Facilitator），就泰拉维蒂（Tairāwhiti）地区林业未来可能需要的进一步支持或政府干预措施向政府提供建议。

McClay 部长表示，他已经致函吉斯伯恩地区议会（Gisborne District Council），告知议会政府决定任命协调人。

政府任命的协调人是 Doug Leeder。他曾担任丰盛湾地区议会（Bay of Plenty Regional Council）主席以及新西兰地方政府协会（Local Government New Zealand）区域部门主席，在地方政府和商业领域拥有丰富的治理经验。

获任命后，Leeder 将与地区议会领导层、议会保障审查小组（Assurance Review panel）成员以及其他利益相关方合作，处理资源许可（consenting）和土地用途变更所涉及的复杂问题。

他将直接向林业部长提供意见，并根据需要向其他部长提供建议。

McClay 部长表示，政府已经意识到业界对吉斯伯恩地区议会土地用途变更处理方式的担忧正在不断增加，其中包括议会针对木质废弃物和沉积物管理所采取的拟议执法措施。

他说，加强合规措施可能确有必要，但这些措施必须切实可行、适度合理，同时不能阻碍土地用途转型的进程。

“林业和木材加工产业对泰拉维蒂以及当地从业人员至关重要。业界告诉我，他们目前面临一些被认为既难以执行又成本高昂的决定，同时也越来越不确定该地区林业产业的未来。”McClay 说。

“我得到的反馈是，这种情况正在影响投资者推进木材加工项目的意愿，不仅影响泰拉维蒂，也影响新西兰其他地区。”

McClay 表示，他希望重新调整议会与利益相关方之间的关系，让各方以建设性、有组织的方式开展合作。

这意味着既要支持有效的长期林业管理，也要兼顾环境保护、就业和当地企业的发展。

2024年，McClay 成立了泰拉维蒂林业行动小组（Tairāwhiti Forestry Action Group，TFAG），旨在增强各方之间的信心，并让政府和地区议会与林业行业密切合作，清理该地区的木质生物质废弃物。

该小组已经降低了173公里河流网络的风险，并从高风险地点清除了近4万立方米的木质废弃物。

如今，TFAG 将进入清理工作的下一阶段。

下一阶段包括通过试点项目支持土地所有者和运营商，加快处理历史遗留生物质废弃物所需的资源许可；监测相关工作进展；继续与当地社区保持沟通；并为土地用途变更相关决策提供信息支持。

McClay 说：“TFAG之所以能够取得成效，是因为中央政府、地区议会和林业行业共同参与。我已经邀请地区议会继续提供支持并参与其中。”

“我要肯定地区议会、林业行业以及当地社区在应对一系列天气事件叠加影响方面所付出的巨大努力。”

“任命协调人将有助于推动林业、环境以及更广泛社区取得更好的成果。”

Government appoints facilitator to restore confidence in Tairāwhiti forestry

Forestry Minister Todd McClay is appointing a Facilitator to advise the Government on what further support or intervention may be needed around forestry in Tairāwhiti.

“I have written to the Gisborne District Council to inform them of the decision to appoint a Facilitator. Doug Leeder, former Chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council and former Chair of Local Government New Zealand’s Regional Sector Group has been appointed. Mr Leeder has significant governance experience in regional government and business.

“Once appointed, Mr Leeder will work with Council leadership, members of the Council’s Assurance Review panel and other stakeholders, on the complexity of consenting and land use change. He will provide advice directly to me as Minister of Forestry, and to other Ministers as required.

Mr McClay says the Government is aware of growing sector-wide concern about the approach the Gisborne District Council is taking to land use change, including its use of draft enforcement orders on woody debris and sediment management. Stronger compliance measures may well be necessary however, they must be workable and proportionate, and they must not undermine progress towards land transition.

“Forestry and wood processing matter enormously to Tairāwhiti and to the people employed in them. Industry is telling me it faces decisions it considers unworkable and costly, and growing uncertainty about the future of the sector in the region,” Mr McClay says. “I am advised this is affecting the willingness of investors to pursue processing ventures, both in Tairāwhiti and elsewhere in the country.

“I want the relationship between the Council and stakeholders reset, with all parties working together in a constructive and structured way. That means supporting effective long-term forestry management, the environment, jobs and local businesses.”

In 2024, Mr McClay established the Tairāwhiti Forestry Action Group (TFAG) to build confidence between all parties, and to allow the Government and Council to work closely with the sector to remove woody biomass from the district. The group has reduced risk across 173 kilometres of river network and removed almost 40,000 cubic metres of woody debris from high-risk locations.

TFAG will now move to the next stage of the clean-up. That includes supporting landowners and operators to accelerate consenting on legacy biomass through pilot projects, monitoring progress, maintaining engagement with the community, and helping inform decisions about land use change.

“TFAG has worked because central government, the Council and the sector all came together. I have invited the Council’s continued support and participation,” Mr McClay says.

“I want to recognise the significant efforts of the Council, the forestry sector and the community in dealing with the compounding effects of weather events. The appointment of a Facilitator will help drive better outcomes for forestry, the environment and the wider community.”