Environment

Tolaga Bay farmers demand forestry halt

06:13 am on 13 June 2018

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Flood-hit farmers around Tolaga Bay are demanding an immediate halt to all forestry in the area, until a Government holds an inquiry into logging. Residents in the area are calling for the industry to be held accountable after forestry debris picked up by flooding, dumped a million tonnes of logs and wood on farms, in rivers and on beaches last week. More debris came down the Hikuwai river on Tuesday. Meka Whaitiri is the MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti, and an associate Minister of both forestry and agriculture. She told Morning Report's Siobhan Wilson the piles of slash still in the hills is an ongoing concern.