Business and rural editor Sally Rae pays a visit to Wenita Forest Products’ Akatore Forest, near the Otago coast, south of Dunedin and views the salvage operation. Fortunately, there was not a history in Otago-Southland of such events; most weather-related events involved rainfall or snow so the wind storm was "pretty unusual" and an occurrence Mr Cormack hoped was a one-in-one-hundred year event. "Everyone would have been anxious and it would have been slow, dangerous work," Mr Cormack said. Mr Cormack said the crews were fully mechanised and it was more productive and more safe. It had been an intense year, and staff and contractors all needed a holiday, Mr Cormack said.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 19, 2025 17:46 UTC