Forestry Logging Operation Important Information

Photo from left to right

Hano Ormsby Tainui Kawhia Incorporation Forestry Manager. (If you have any enquiries about the harvesting operation, please do not hesitate to call TKI’s forest managers. Hano Ormsby, 0275927297 or Malcolm Ormsby, 0210516667).

Lees Seymour Tainui Kawhia Incorporation Committee of Management Forestry Portfolio

Major Nelson, Complete Logging. Harvesting Contractor.

Rob Angus, Waipa Forest Management. Harvesting Operations Manager.

Tainui Kāwhia Incorporation

Public Notice

Tēnā tatou katoa

Tanui Kāwhia Incorporation (TKI) is a whānau owned and operated business that has a 1000-hectare forest estate in Kāwhia. Owners primarily whakapapa to Ngāti Mahuta and Ngāti Hikairo.

The forest was established in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as an environmental and community protection project to prevent the large sand dune encroaching on the township of Kāwhia.

As part of this process the trees that are grown need to be harvested and replanted.

The first harvest took place in the 1990’s and the second harvest is underway now.

The community will notice increased vehicular activity along Te Puia Road and in the township of Kāwhia with utility vehicles and logging truck movements. We estimate that there will be 10-15 logging trucks per day exiting the forest travelling to customers outside of Kāwhia.

The TKI Committee of Management will be holding a public meeting to discuss these activities in the week starting 19 August in Kāwhia. The date, time and location will be advised very soon.

We look forward to meeting with you.

If you see smoke or fire

call 111 immediately

lees Seymour (TKI), Major Nelson (Complete Logging) and Rob Angus (Waipa Forest Management Services), discuss the final detail before commencement of the harvest operation in the Tainui Kāwhia Forest.
Aerial view of dense forest with a clearing and logging activities
Aerial view of a dense forest with a clearing where a small orange vehicle or equipment is visible.
Aerial view of a forest clearing with felled trees and logging equipment
Aerial view of a dense green forest with a section of cut trees, surrounded by a coastal landscape with a body of water and distant hills.
Aerial view of a deforestation site surrounded by dense forest with logs and machinery visible, near a body of water.
Aerial view of deforested land with remaining patches of trees next to a body of water.
Aerial view of a coastal landscape with forested areas and clear-cut patches, overlooking a body of water and distant hills.
Aerial view of a coastal landscape with dense forests, clear turquoise waters, and rolling hills under a clear blue sky.
Aerial view of a deforested area surrounded by dense forest with mountains and a body of water in the background.
A truck driving on a muddy path surrounded by trees.
A green and white truck driving on a dirt path through a forest with tall trees on both sides.
Logging area with machinery, truck, and tree logs.
A logging site with cut trees and machinery in a forest.
Deforested area with logs and tree stumps
Truck loaded with logs on a rural road, surrounded by trees, with three people standing nearby wearing safety gear, and traffic cones on the grass.
A forest scene with a sign reading 'Lee Rd' and another sign warning of a multi-hazard worksite with instructions and potential dangers such as tree felling and machine operation.

Frequently Asked

Questions

  •  Answer - Likely to be in 12 months' time i.e. August 2025.

    Update- 15/05/2025. The harvest operation has moved to the northeastern part of the forest and will be there for the next several months.

  • Yes, but there may be times, in the interest of public safety, that the road may be closed when the felling of trees is close to the roadside.

    We will plan to minimize disruption and keep the road closed periods to a minimum.

    The legal requirement is that people have to be at least two tree lengths ( approx. 60m) from tress that are being felled.

  • Answer- It is expected that there will be in the order of 10-15 trucks per day leaving the site and being transported to customers.

  • Answer - Most trucks will tow a trailer to minimize the number of vehicle movements per day.

    In addition to keep truck movements to the minimum we are using "H" trucks that carry a larger load than a normal logging truck.

  • Answer - Radiata pine.

  • Answer - Yes, we expect access to remain open most days. As mentioned above there will be some periods when the road will be closed to keep people safe.

  • Answer To local mills in Te Kuiti, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, the remainder that is unable to be sold to the local mills will be sold to export markets via the Port of Tauranga.

  • Answer - The bulk of the forest will be replanted, there may be some areas that will not be replanted if we identify other uses for parts of the land.

  • Answer - no it isn't safe please do not enter the forest where harvesting and trucking operations are taking place. Signage will be in place to identify where harvesting and trucking operations are occurring.

  • Answer Yes there are many known archaelogical sites / waahi tapu. Where these are identified we have specific protocols in place to manage these areas. We also have protocols in place if we unexpectedly come across an artefact / taonga / koiwi. If this occurs, we will work with the local hapu Ngāti Hikairo and Ngāti Mahuta to determine the appropriate protocols which may include relocation to an established Urupā in the forest.

  • Answer - the forest is owned by individuals, families and family trusts of the original descendants of the Tainui Waka and has been in Māori ownership since the arrival of the Tainui waka.

  • Answer - Our local forest managers are Hano Ormsby 0275 927 297 and Malcolm Ormsby 021 051 6667.

A Message from the TKI Forestry Team, 15/12/2024.

Ngā mihi manahau ki a koutou katoa i tēnei wahanga o te tau nei.

It has been a while since we started harvesting the Tainui Kāwhia Incorporation block. We commenced with a whakawātea in the forest in August and logging began soon afterwards. Since then, we have sold 25,290 tonnes of logs, or 843 truckloads to a range of customers both in New Zealand and overseas.

Everyone involved in the operation is working safely, which is great to see, and this fits perfectly with our health and safety vision

“Haumaru te haere, tangata ora”

We have hosted some kaumatua and a few other visitors to see the harvesting in action and by all accounts everybody enjoyed themselves.

Harvesting will stop over the Xmas period from 20 December through to 6 January 2025, so you won’t see any action for a few weeks.

Our loggers and truckers are enjoying working in our forest and they are doing a great job too, a big thanks to them.

We have made some firewood available for collection. There are some conditions but most importantly it is free, please contact Hano Ormsby if you want to collect some. mobile 027 592 7297

A special big thanks to the community of Kāwhia for being such great hosts, we are appreciative all of your manaakitanga

Meri Kirihimete me ngā mihi o te Tau Hou Pākēha e heke mai ana.

Lees Seymour, John Forbes, Kenneth Riddell, Hano Ormsby