Pan Pac’s Whirinaki site was hit by Cyclone Gabrielle, with silt flooding into buildings, causing significant damage to the plant. The silt came over the top of the stop banks behind the site, which were designed for a one in 500-year flood occurrence. Source: Timberbiz
In some areas onsite the silt was 2m high. The picture with this article was taken a week after the cyclone hit.
Over the past two months, hundreds of staff and contractors have been hard at work removing silt and identifying machinery that can be restored.
The company’s forests were also impacted, with trees lost to slips and windthrow. The company’s employees have been actively clearing away logs and debris from neighbouring properties and will continue to support the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s clean-up program in the region.
Despite the damage, Pan Pac is making good progress on its recovery, and is aiming to begin its lumber operations in August, with pulp operations scheduled to begin in October.
In the meantime, Pan Pac is able to transport logs from its forests to Napier Port.
