- Forestry Development
- Natural Forests
- Planted Production Forests
- Harvesting
- Log Exports
- Future Wood Supply
Forestry in Canterbury
New Zealand’s first significant tree planting following European settlement took place in Canterbury. Pioneer farmers planted for shelter and amenity and to provide firewood and timber for their own use.
The first recorded introduction of radiata pine to New Zealand was at Mt Peel Station in South Canterbury in 1859. The Canterbury Provincial Government passed the Forest Tree Bill in 1871, providing incentives to establish planted production forests. New Zealand’s first planted production forestry company, the Selwyn Plantation Board, started in 1879 in response to the perceived need for shelter and wood production on the Canterbury plains. The planting of Raincliff Forest began in 1890, with the forest being purchased by the government in about 1900. The first recorded use of radiata pine in New Zealand was in 1893 by Duncan Rutherford of Leslie Hills Station near Culverden, who had 20-year-old trees milled and used for farm buildings.
The New Zealand Government began planting in North Canterbury on the largely treeless Hanmer plains in 1902. European larch and Corsican pine were the main timber species, and radiata pine and silver birch were planted for shelter. Compared to other parts of New Zealand, State plantings in Canterbury were modest, as most productive land was well suited to pastoral farming. By 1987 Canterbury had 38 000 hectares of State-owned planted production forests, approximately 55 percent of the region’s total forest resource.
In 1990 Crown Forestry Licences to the North Canterbury State forests, with the exception of one small forest, were granted to Carter Holt Harvey Ltd. The Aorangi state forests within the south of the region (Geraldine and Waimate) were managed under contract by Crown Forestry Management Ltd, (a State-owned enterprise established to manage state forests that remained in Crown ownership subsequent to the Crown forest assets sales programmes in the early 1990s).
In February 2000 Ngai Tahu purchased 159 000 hectares of forest land (mostly planted forest) in the South Island through their Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Crown. Ngai Tahu has retained ownership of 119 000 hectares, of which 36 900 hectares are in Canterbury. This land included the North Canterbury forests owned and managed by Carter Holt Harvey Ltd under Crown Forestry Licences. Carter Holt Harvey Ltd now manages these forests under a forestry right with Ngai Tahu. Geraldine Forest was also purchased by Ngai Tahu, but subsequently on-sold to Blakely Pacific Limited. Waimate Forest continues to be managed by Crown Forestry Management Ltd.
Canterbury has approximately 264 000 hectares of natural forest, mainly in western, higher rainfall mountain areas. Native beech (Nothofagus spp) dominates, with mountain beech the most common. About 186 000 hectares of natural forest are on Crown land managed by the Department of Conservation for conservation and recreation purposes. The sale of indigenous timber is prohibited by the Conservation Act 1987.
Before about 1000 AD, most of Canterbury was covered in tall forest or woody scrub below the sub-alpine timberline. During the first centuries of Polynesian settlement, most forest cover in the drier eastern areas was destroyed by fire. European settlement and farming further reduced the forest cover, particularly in North Canterbury.
Tall podocarp forest on Banks Peninsula and lowland black beech forest near Oxford were heavily milled to supply timber to Christchurch. By 1900 these forests were exhausted and Canterbury became dependent on podocarp timbers from the West Coast and elsewhere. Timber supplies to Canterbury were dominated by West Coast indigenous timber until the mid-1970s, when timber from local planted production forests increased.
Limited quantities of indigenous timber from private land in Canterbury have been milled in recent years, principally black beech. Only one sustainable forest management plan and one sustainable forest management permit have been approved for the region since the inception of Part IIIA of the Forests Act in 1993. (Some 26 plans and 93 permits have been approved nationally covering 62 900 hectares as at 31 March 2001).
Canterbury’s estimated total planted production forest area is 114 244 hectares (as at 1 April 2000, see Table 1). This amounts to 3.0 percent of the region’s land area, compared with the national regional average of 6.6 percent. The forest resource has a standing volume of 16.3 million cubic metres and an area-weighted average age of 13.6 years.
Radiata pine accounts for 83 percent of Canterbury’s planted forests (see Table 2) compared to the national average of 90 percent. The species is suited to commercial forestry, especially on the downlands, and hill country sites to about 500 metres altitude.
Canterbury radiata pine has low density and provides good recoveries of long, clear lumber between branch whorls. However, the high incidence of resin pockets and resin streaks in radiata pine logs sourced from the Canterbury plains can reduce recoveries of clear lumber from pruned logs due to discolouration and drying instability.
Hardier species such as Douglas-fir, Corsican pine and ponderosa pine can be grown to about 900 metres above sea level on suitable sites in the inland hill and high country. Douglas-fir is Canterbury’s second most common species, comprising 9 percent of the region’s forest estate. Ponderosa and Corsican pines are also common, reflecting their suitability for the inland high country conditions.
Special purpose timber species such as eucalypts can grow well on favourable sites in the region such as moist, sheltered coastal hill country. Increased interest in cypresses (macrocarpa and Leyland cypress) has occurred in recent years.
Table 1: Planted Production Forest Area and Volume in Canterbury by District as at 1 April 2000 (hectares)
| District | Area (ha) |
Volume (000 m3) |
| Hurunui | 39 711 |
5 898 |
| Waimakariri | 14 407 |
2 143 |
| Selwyn | 15 093 |
3 195 |
| Christchurch | 3 844 |
578 |
| Banks Peninsula | 3 627 |
332 |
| Ashburton | 6 017 |
783 |
| Mackenzie | 5 972 |
855 |
| Timaru | 9 958 |
1 256 |
| Waimate | 15 615 |
1 260 |
| Total | 114 244 |
16 300 |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
| Figure 2: Area/Age Class
Distribution of Planted Forests in Canterbury as at 1 April 2000
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry |
Table 2: Forest Area By Species in Canterbury as at 1 April 2000 (hectares)
| District | Radiata pine |
Douglas-fir |
Other Softwoods |
Hardwoods |
Total |
| Hurunui | 33 959 | 3 429 | 2 136 | 187 | 39 711 |
| Waimakariri | 13 775 | 346 | 200 | 86 | 14 407 |
| Selwyn | 13 115 | 1 270 | 587 | 121 | 15 093 |
| Christchurch | 3 639 | 7 | 70 | 128 | 3 844 |
| Banks Peninsula | 2 852 | 66 | 327 | 382 | 3 627 |
| Ashburton | 4 102 | 967 | 843 | 105 | 6 017 |
| Mackenzie | 4 305 | 457 | 1 121 | 89 | 5 972 |
| Timaru | 7 168 | 1 315 | 1 241 | 234 | 9 958 |
| Waimate | 11 958 | 2 790 | 750 | 117 | 15 615 |
| Total | 94 873 | 10 647 | 7 275 | 1 449 | 114 244 |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Harvesting from planted production forests in Canterbury has increased from 400 000 cubic metres in 1990 to 800 000 cubic metres in 2000 (see Figure 3). By 2005 annual production has the potential to exceed 1.2 million cubic metres.
Figure 3: Estimated Roundwood Removals for Canterbury
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Log exports from Canterbury have historically been small scale compared to other regions, partly because of a regional wood shortage following a severe storm in 1975 that caused extensive damage to the region’s forests. Log exports from Port Timaru resumed in 1991 and for the year ended December 2000 totalled 35 000 cubic metres. Lyttelton only resumed log exports in 1995, ceased again late in 1997, and resumed in May 1999. For the year ended December 2000 some 52 000 cubic metres of logs were exported through Lyttelton. The Lyttelton trade has included logs from the West Coast. (See Figure 7, page 16).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry developed wood supply forecasts for the Canterbury wood supply region during the year 2000, with oversight from the National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) Steering Committee. The Committee comprises representatives from the forest industry and government agencies nominated by the New Zealand Forest Owners’ Association and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Details of the methodology and assumptions used to derive these NEFD wood supplies are provided in Appendix 1.
The wood supply forecasts include six modelling scenarios:
- Three clearfell age scenarios (see Figure 4);
- base cut - uses a target rotation age of 28 years for radiata pine
- early cut - uses a target rotation age of 25 years for radiata pine
- late cut - uses a target rotation age of 35 years for radiata pine
- Three national new planting scenarios (see Figure 5);
- planting 20 000 hectares per year
- planting 40 000 hectares per year
- planting 60 000 hectares per year.
The national new planting scenario of 40 000 hectares per year is the currently accepted best estimate of future new planting. The allocated Canterbury share of the 40 000 hectares of national new planting is 3000 hectares of new planting per year.
Figure 4: Canterbury - Future Wood Supply for Different Clearfell Age Scenarios
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Figure 5: Canterbury - Future wood Supply for Different New Planting Scenarios
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
The wood supply forecasts indicate the potential for a rapid increase in harvest during the period 2000 to 2003. The predicted increases in wood harvests for the new planting scenarios are similar to the base cut scenario up to 2022, after which they diverge significantly. The new planting scenario of 40 000 hectares per year predicts a rapid increase in available wood supply from 2022, with a predicted level of about 1.85 million cubic metres per annum by 2025.
The log grade mix proportions are not expected to change significantly over the next forty years. The impact of more intensive management since the early 1970s occurred in the late 1990s. Table 3 shows the forecast wood supply by log type in five-year intervals.
Table 3: Predicted Canterbury Wood Supply - Base Cut Scenario by Log Type (000 cubic metres per year)
| Years | Pruned logs |
Unpruned logs |
Pulp logs |
Thinnings |
Total recoverable volume |
| 2001-05 | 116 |
705 |
314 |
38 |
1 173 |
| 2006-10 | 134 |
682 |
327 |
59 |
1 202 |
| 2011-15 | 78 |
710 |
378 |
72 |
1 239 |
| 2016-20 | 115 |
742 |
414 |
59 |
1 329 |
| 2021-25 | 148 |
869 |
437 |
19 |
1 473 |
| 2026-30 | 105 |
937 |
445 |
37 |
1 523 |
| 2031-35 | 149 |
919 |
419 |
44 |
1 530 |
| 2036-40 | 136 |
930 |
419 |
41 |
1 525 |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Contact for Enquiries
Policy Analyst - Forestry
Innovation and Research
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
Contact this person
