Forestry is a significant industry in New Zealand. It is the country’s fourth largest export earner behind dairy, meat and horticulture, and employs almost 40,000 people. The export value of New Zealand’s logs and forest products was $6.4 billion for the year ended June 2023.
In the east and south of New Zealand’s North Island is land renowned for providing excellent conditions for Radiata pine. The Wairarapa, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions meet all of Forest Enterprises criteria for productive plantation forestry – good growth rates and land of medium contour, plus access to essential infrastructure for log processing and export.
Wairarapa is known for its farming and forestry
Wairarapa is the southern-most region of New Zealand’s North Island. It is an hour north of the capital city Wellington, only 90km by rail and 100km by road from Masterton. Two large sawmills operate in Masterton, and another nearby in Dannevirke.
The rail link is excellent between the Wairarapa and Wellington’s major log export facilities at CentrePort. Significant volumes of logs are being handled through this port.
The log marshalling facility at the Waingawa Rail Yard near Masterton processes and freights logs by rail direct to the Port. CentrePort, KiwiRail and Forest Enterprises collaborated to build the capacity of this infrastructure to meet the volume of wood expected in the next decade. Learn more about the log hub here.
Gisborne’s forests are among the best in the world
The Gisborne region is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Gisborne has long held the reputation for growing the best radiata pine because of its climate and topography. Forestry is a major contributor to the regional economy.
The sector is supported by a community of highly reputable forestry businesses and an excellent log export port. The volume of log exports through the Port of Gisborne has increased dramatically in the last 2 decades, from 350,000 tonnes in 2005 to 3 million tonnes currently.
Approximately half of our total estate under management is in the Gisborne region, and almost all the logs we produce here are exported.
Hawkes Bay’s forest growing industry is well-established
The Hawke’s Bay area is in the east of New Zealand’s North Island, south of Gisborne. The region has 130,000 hectares under radiata pine, mostly in private ownership, including corporate forest owners, iwi, farmers and investors like ours. It has well-established forestry infrastructure including a significant mill, a busy export port and rail transport links.
Pan Pac Forest Products’ pulp and sawmill has been operating at Whirinaki since 1971. It dominates the Hawke’s Bay wood processing industry and is one of New Zealand’s largest radiata pine sawmills.
Export log volumes through the Port of Napier for the 12 months to September 2023 were 2.5 millon tonnes.
We manage some of the best forests in the country
Journey of a log
When you drive into Wellington city, you can’t miss the logs waiting to leave the Port.
Follow the journey of a log from the forest in Wairarapa’s hill country, onto trucks and trains and out to the customer. Also meet the people who make it happen.
Video by CentrePort Wellington.
Supply chain partnerships
Up to 40% of the harvest volume from the Wairarapa forests we manage is supplied to local sawmills, like Kiwi Lumber in Masterton and Dannevirke. The rest heads south by rail from the Waingawa Log Hub near Masterton, for export via Port of Wellington.
Supply chain partners like our cartage contractors, local log marshalling services and the Ports are essential for optimising wood flow and delivering logs to our customers.
Video by CentrePort Wellington.
New Zealand’s forestry story
Petri Dish to Ship tells New Zealand’s forestry story through members of Gisborne’s forestry industry. This informative video highlights the sector’s economic and environmental contribution, from the moment pinus Radiata seeds are germinated in the lab, to when the log ships leave Port. Courtesy of Eastland Wood Council.
A guide to forestry
Eastland Wood Council has also published an excellent overview of the whole forestry sector.
Download and read The Guide to Forestry.
Find your fit in forestry
Forestry is a major contributor to New Zealand’s economy, and to the environment. Forestry is a fast-growing sector offering a broad range of career opportunities. Take a look at who is involved and how the sector works. Courtesy of forestrycareers.nz.
Forestry Facts & Figures
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association and Te Uru Rakau jointly publish an annual overview of the New Zealand plantation forest industry, like planting and harvest stats, employment, export earnings and wood production, plus industry initiatives like promotion and health and safety.