Gisborne forestry risk report 'sidelined' - councillor

The Gisborne District Council was warned in a report more than seven months ago forestry debris was likely to cause problems if there was heavy rain in the area. But Gisborne District councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown says the report wasn't taken seriously enough. The 122-page report was commissioned by the council after Cyclone Cook caused forestry debris - known as slash - to run into rivers and catchments in April last year, and it warned that future downpours were likely to create risks. Ms Akuhata-Brown told RNZ reporter Nita Blake-Persen she still puts the blame on the industry, not the council.