18 April 2012
The Wellington Regional Council may sell cutting rights to its plantation forests in Wellington and Wairarapa. The idea is floated in the council’s 10-year plan on the basis that this would enable the council to repay the $29.7 million in debt it has accrued establishing and maintaining the forests over many years.The council has 1775 ha in erosion protection forests in southwest Wairarapa and 3695 ha of water catchment protection forests in Upper Hutt and on the Kapiti coast. The Upper Hutt and Kapiti forests are used for recreation.
The plan proposes that cutting rights be sold for two cutting cycles of 30 years, on the basis that recreation activities can continue and that the water catchments are protected. The land would remain in the ownership of Greater Wellington.
Source: Wairarapa News