Wilding trees infesting a reserve on Queenstown Hill could be felled and replaced with native and exotic species.
A draft forestry management plan for the 109ha reserve, which overlooks central Queenstown and Frankton Rd, was unanimously approved for public consultation at a full council meeting in Arrowtown yesterday.
A report for councillors by parks planning manager Briana Pringle said that without intervention, the mostly Douglas fir trees would continue to spread and cause a loss of biodiversity.
The plan, which would be carried out in stages, would involve eradicating all wilding trees and replacing them with a mixture of native and exotic trees and tussock grassland.
The harvesting of some "merchantable timber" on the site might offset some of the operation’s costs, but the area’s steepness, rock outcrops and access challenges meant it was unlikely to generate an economic return, Ms Pringle said.
Cr Melissa White said the visibility of the site and the public’s enjoyment of forest walking meant the plan could be "completely polarising" for the community, so it was vital the consultation process was done well.
Cr Matt Wong said Project Tohu — to reforest the former Coronet Forest site near Arrowtown — had "raised the bar" for council involvement in ecological restoration projects.
He found the draft plan "bloody exciting", and was pleased to see it progress to consultation after three years of discussion.
Cr Niki Gladding also backed the plan, saying it was needed if the council was going to meet its emissions trading scheme obligations.
"We have to do something big, and we have to do it fast."
A panel of councillors was appointed to hear submissions on the plan in July.
