TREE PLANTING CEREMONY TO COMMEMORATE NEW FORESTRY

Ngati Tuwharetoa (BOP) Settlement Trust has commenced the establishment of a 300 hectare radiata pine forest on a portion of its Otarahanga Farm in Kawerau. This forestry venture is being completed in partnership with Crown Forestry and has been driven by the Trusts goal of growing and investing in its Assets. The venture is well complemented by the Crown’s one billion tree programme targeting benefits for New Zealand provinces, the environment, and people.

The establishment of forestry on the Farm provides better utilisation of the steeper parts of the farm land and will result in higher long term economic returns and better environmental outcomes. This investment in forestry also has benefits for the wider Kawerau community being a centre for wood processing.  As the largest employers in Kawerau, the wood processing businesses are also customers of Tuwharetoa’s geothermal steam supply business.

To commemorate the establishment of the forest, a ceremony was held with representatives of the Settlement Trust and Crown Forestry joining together to mark the start of this new venture. The ceremony included planting a Totara seedling on the farm as the grandfather tree to represent other native trees surrounding the farm and to stand amongst the new plantation as the guardian of all of the newly established trees.