Marlborough’s Future is Durable

A regional development case study on the potential for a durable hardwood industry

Workshop, February 16th – 17th 2024, Blenheim

NZ Dryland Forests Innovation held a workshop on Friday 16th February to present results of a case study to evaluate the potential for a durable hardwood industry in Marlborough.

The workshop was a key part of a two-year Sustainable Land Use Management and Climate Change (SLMACC) project, funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, where NZDFI is evaluating how planting durable hardwood forests could contribute to the sustainability of Marlborough’s wine industry.

The morning presentations at the Marlborough Reserach Centre in Blenheim were followed by afternoon site visits to near-by NZDFI trials. On Saturday 17th February, a smaller group visited more NZDFI trial sites in south Marlborough.

Workshop programme, notes and morning presentations

 Workshop programme and notes – Paul Millen, Manager, NZDFI

 Marlborough’s Future is Durable: Welcome and introduction – Gerald Hope, Chief Executive, Marlborough Research Centre Trust

Opportunities for a durable hardwood industry in Marlborough – Robert Holdaway, Marlborough vineyard and forest owner

 Durable eucalypt forestry for heartwood, biomass and carbon sequestration – Prof. Euan Mason, University of Canterbury School of Forestry

 Using UAV’s with LiDAR to measure durable eucalypt biomass in Marlborough – Dr Ning Ye, University of Canterbury School of Forestry

 Durable hardwood processing, products and markets – Assoc. Prof. Clemens Altaner, University of Canterbury School of Forestry

 NZDFI’s vision and regional development case study for a durable hardwood industry in Marlborough – Paul Millen, Manager, NZDFI

  MPI’s Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and research related to the Marlborough case study – James Gorrie, MPI

The workshop speakers, with NZDFI chair Shaf van Ballekom.

For more details of the SLMACC project and the workshop, please contact Paul Millen, NZDFI Manager

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