Caution Urged For Residents Taking Free Flood Debris Firewood

Tuesday, 26 August 2025, 10:32 am
Article: Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter

Are you in need of some free firewood? 

The Tasman floods may have collected some for you, provided you collect it safely. 

Councillor Christeen Mackenzie drew attention to the large pile of woody debris at the Wai-iti River next to State Highway 6 during Thursday’s meeting of Tasman District Council’s Operations Committee.

“What [do] we do with those big piles? Presumably, we need to move it away; otherwise, it’s going to end up back in the river.” 

The council’s group manager for community infrastructure, Richard Kirby, confirmed that the piles of debris being collected across the district would eventually be tidied up, but the current priority was to ensure the rivers were clear. 

Mackenzie then asked if the public was encouraged to help themselves. 

“I noticed someone with their chainsaw, as I was driving home yesterday, down there filling up their trailer,” she said. 

Kirby’s response was casual: “Fill your boots; there’s less for us to clean up.” 

Mackenzie then asked how the council would make that message known to residents so those who did help themselves didn’t feel as though they were doing something “dubious”. 

“If it provides resources, timber, for people who might need it, and it saves the council from having to transport it away, how do we communicate that?” Kirby said that formally promoting residents to take material from the piles would create health and safety concerns. 

“At this point in time, we just leave it there, and we’re not concerned if people go in. They go in at their own risk; it’s not at our approval or anything like that. I think we just leave it open,” he said. 

After being reminded by Mackenzie that the media were in the council chamber, Kirby added that if people did take from the piles, they should be careful. 

“Well, my message is don’t go on there unless you are completely safe, ‘cause it’s unsafe.” 

Prominent Wai-iti hop farmer Peter Lines died after he was struck by a tree while cleaning flood damage after the 26/27 June storm. 

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