Councillors' Comment: A Path to Navigate

Recently, Council voted unanimously to pause replanting plantation forests in our reserves and support the establishment of the Right Tree Right Place Taskforce. The taskforce will undertake a review of Council’s current approach to its commercial forestry in our public reserves and water catchments.

We need to acknowledge this is not the end point – it is simply a pause, a review of where we’re going, and a chance to change course. The outcome is not predetermined. However, it is a significant step, and I am relieved we’re finally at this point. A focus of my work on Council last term was questioning the economic benefit and environmental sustainability of our current approach.

We have a once-in-a generation (or forestry life cycle) opportunity to consider doing things differently. We have an intelligent, insightful and deeply experienced Chair leading the taskforce, Dr Morgan Williams, alongside Councillor Matthew Benge and myself. We have a robust process and a clear way forward – a path to navigate that I’m hopeful will result in an outcome both Council and the wider community can embrace. The community will have an opportunity to comment on the way forward, through the Long Term Plan process, after the taskforce makes its recommendations to Council.

I am very appreciative of Mayor Nick and the new Council, for taking such a commonsense approach to this matter, and I think this Council should be congratulated for listening to the people!