62 | FORESTRY Port Blakely T T Karen Phelps Sustainability an important factor This system converts the former waste products into wood chips, which are used as biofuel at the Washdyke Energy Centre in Timaru. Forestry company Port Blakely has a strong focus on how it can address climate change in its operations. “As a company that takes decades to bring our products to market, we spend a lot of time thinking about the future; of our forests, our community, our planet,” explains Andrew Cocking, Port Blakely general manager forestry. “They’re all connected. So in everything we do, we think about how we will impact them. Not just today, but for generations to come. We continue to explore and adopt new environmental and sustainability initiatives as an important part of our business.” A good example is how Port Blakely has transformed what was once considered waste into a valuable resource via an innovative ‘in-forest’ storage and supply chain system to recover wood residue from its South Canterbury forests. This system converts the former waste products into wood chips, which are used as biofuel at the Washdyke Energy Centre in Timaru. The project earned Port Blakely the Environment Canterbury Sustainability and Environmental Commercial Award at the 2023 South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Andrew says the biofuel operation has significantly reduced slash and woody debris that would otherwise remain on slopes and skids. It now supplies 16,000 tonnes of wood chips annually to Wood Energy NZ Ltd for its Washdyke Energy Centre, creating both economic and environmental benefits for contractors and local processing businesses that have switched from coal to biofuels. Carbon forestry has provided another avenue for Port Blakely to enhance its economic sustainability, adding value to its bottom line, while contributing to climate change mitigation. Through its experience with forest carbon offsets in New Zealand over the past decade, it has seen the promise this brings, allowing investment in both economic and environmental sustainability, says Andrew. Port Blakely grows, harvests and continually replants radiata pine and Douglas fir, producing high-quality saw logs for domestic and export markets from its 40,000 hectares of sustainably managed New Zealand forests, selling to customers throughout New Zealand and Asia. While forestry operations remain at the core of Port Blakely’s business model, Andrew says diversifying into other areas has been key. As another example, Port Blakely has recently established a subsidiary business producing Douglas Fir Essential Oils from one of its East Otago forests. “We have built an in-forest essential oil manufacturing plant within a 4000-hectare Douglas fir forest planted back in 1997 to 1998,” says Andrew. Being a good neighbour is central to Port Blakely’s philosophy, says Andrew, with the company striving to understand what matters to the communities where its employees live and work. “For us, it’s important that we engage with the local communities in our operations and that we build genuine partnerships,” Andrew explains. “Our goal is to support what is meaningful to the people and organisations it interacts with to ensure it contributes to a healthier world.” Port Blakely demonstrates this commitment through various philanthropic efforts, including providing access to its forests for local community fundraising events and maintaining mountain biking trails. It operates a sponsorship committee that meets twice yearly to grant funds to organisations and events such as local sports teams, play centres, school camps, and hunting tournaments. Andrew says that as a sixth-generation, family-owned business, Port Blakely thinks long-term about the future of its forests, communities, and the planet. “We believe working forests must be part of our region’s, our nation’s and our planet’s response to climate change. “By turning waste into valuable resources, developing innovative products like essential oils, embracing carbon forestry, and maintaining strong community connections, we hope to be a good example of how modern forestry companies can operate sustainably while benefitting the regions in which they work.” Proud to support Port Blakely Ltd Phone: 03 327 8843 Email: sales@sutherlandtimber.co.nz
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