An independent review has found that Gisborne District Council acted diligently and in good faith in regulating the forestry industry, rejecting claims that it was biased against forestry companies, RNZ reports.
The council commissioned the review three months ago after criticism from parts of the industry and from Forestry Minister Todd McClay, who said companies had described some council decisions as unworkable and costly. Much of the concern centred on the council's use of enforcement orders through the Environment Court.
The three-member panel, led by former National MP Chris Finlayson KC, conducted more than 100 interviews with forestry firms, industry bodies, contractors, Māori landowners and officials. Its 80-page report concluded the council had followed proper legal process, that enforcement orders had improved forestry practice in Tairāwhiti, and that claims the council was anti-forestry amounted to hyperbole.
Source: RNZ