Top of the South Forests

TOTS Forests, Forestry and Wood Processing

The temperate climate in the top of the south provides ideal growing conditions for our forest species. Forest ownership in the area is a mix of larger corporate and smaller, privately owned, forest estates and woodlots. Farming and forestry have traditionally been complementary land uses in the region, with forestry offering sheep and beef farmers the opportunity to diversify and enhance hill country and catchments.

The top of the south is the only area in New Zealand where barges are used to transport logs from forests in the Marlborough Sounds, to either Port Marlborough for export or to log yards for transporting onto local sawmills for processing. In areas like the Marlborough Sounds, where access is either non-existent or challenging, barges provide a vital solution.

Along with growing the trees, the top of the south has numerous innovative wood processing facilities, as well as two export shipping ports. These include Picton’s Shakespeare Bay, the deepest water export shipping in New Zealand, and Port Nelson, from which logs, sawn and processed lumber is exported to markets all over the world.

Together our forests, wood processors and critical, associated, industries are helping to ensure a diverse and thriving, low emissions future for the top of the south.

Planted Forest by Region

Area Planted in all Species by Territorial Authority

Region
	2019	2020	2021	%
Northland	185,943	188,586	194,023	11%
Central North Island	562,792	564,448	560,001	32%
East Coast	155,617	155,359	157,295	9%
Hawke’s Bay	131,733	131,994	139,558	8%
Southern North Island	159,690	167,718	176,250	10%
Nelson/Marlborough	165,077	164,639	167,920	10%
Canterbury	94,782	96,721	95,278	5%
West Coast	30,401	30,157	30,285	2%
Otago/Southland	210,569	216,953	219,361	13%
Total	1,696,604	1,716,575	1,739,971	100%