The Whakatāne District Council has postponed the replanting of the Onepū Forest block until options for its future use have been discussed with the Crown.

The 30.4 hectare block was vested in the then-Whakatāne County Council by an Order in Council in 1925, to be used for tree-planting. If not used for that purpose, ownership reverts to the Crown.

The forest was harvested in 2014, to take advantage of the high log prices available at the time, and replanting was scheduled for this winter. However, changing land uses in the surrounding area and concerns about the viability of a small forestry block, which is isolated from other substantial areas of plantation forest, have seen the Council’s Policy Committee adopt a resolution to defer the planting and initiate discussions with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) about other potential uses.

Mayor Tony Bonne says the surrounding area is now dominated by pastoral farming and horticultural and lifestyle blocks. “The nature of that part of the District has changed dramatically since 1925 and following the harvesting of the previous radiate pine forest, it seems sensible to re-evaluate whether there is a better use for the land,” he says. “Replanting it now would lock-in the existing use for another 25-30 years, so before we take that step, we want to explore possible uses which would be more compatible with other activities in that area.”

In the meantime, vegetation maintenance work will be undertaken until a decision is reached on the future of the block.