On 14 February 2023, Pan Pac’s Whirinaki site was hit by Cyclone Gabrielle, with silt flooding into buildings, causing significant damage to its plant. The silt came over the top of the stop banks behind the site, which were designed for a 1 in 500-year flood occurrence. In some areas onsite the silt was 2m high.
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 forests were also impacted, with trees being lost to slips and windthrow.
Despite the damage, Pan Pac is making good progress on its recovery plan, and is aiming to begin its Lumber operations in August, with Pulp operations scheduled to begin in October. In the meantime, the Company is able to transport logs from its forests to Napier Port.
Pan Pac is the New Zealand specialists in providing sustainable, tailored forest products. Pan Pac Products include forests, lumber, pulp, and fibre supply.
