Tairawhiti Forestry Emergency Management Plan

26 February 2025

Eastland Wood Council (EWC) is working to replace the existing draft Tairāwhiti Forestry Emergency Management Plan (TFEMP) with a more streamlined approach. The plan states in the event of a severe weather event or other emergency, a forestry team would contribute efforts as a coordinated entity to an Incident Management Team.  

EWC Manager Allysha Ah-Nau has met with Tairāwhiti Emergency Management Office (TEMO) as well as Health and Safety Managers of several forestry and contractor companies to discuss the most operationally viable way to provide a regional industry response. Ms Ah-Nau hopes to circulate an initial version of the draft TFEMP by the end of February.  

“It’s important to recognise work that’s already been done historically and somewhat recently by individual companies in the wake of several emergency events here. 

“This plan is a high-level effort of coordination to supplement what is already in place and to bring together the industry as one voice in Response and Recovery phases.  

“The draft plan I was tasked with revising was not fit for purpose, and the work that’s gone into the updated TFEMP has been collaborative and transparent.” 

Fire Risk Management has been added to the updated plan.  

“After the impact of cyclones Hale and Gabrielle, we tend to think of flooding and weather when looking at emergencies in the capacity of Civil Defence.  

“The biggest threat to this industry is actually a campaign fire. An important learning from Gabrielle in particular is the realisation of just how isolated we are in this rohe. 

“Building capability for response to wildfires should be prioritised.”  

Allysha has met with Tairāwhiti Fire and Emergency (FENZ) staff and forestry stakeholders in their Land Management Forum to discuss how industry can support initiatives put in place alongside other landowners. 

“We want EWC to continue to support a streamlined industry response.  

“Part of this is looking at different opportunities for training and development.” 

Ms Ah-Nau is in talks with several other training providers to supplement what is already available.  

“Cost and travel are prohibitive factors for us in this region to make sure the correct training is available to all who work in our forests. 

“If we can create different pathways and relationships to offer alternatives, this will help not only FENZ trainers but the volunteers who make up the region’s rural firefighting capability.”  

Once the TFEMP has been approved by industry, TEMO and FENZ, it will be made available to the public at a community engagement event before June 2025.