OneFortyOne enhances community engagement and forest access

OneFortyOne manages 80,000 hectares of forest in the top of the South Island. In 2024, OneFortyOne had a troubled relationship with trampers, mountain bikers, and hunters in the area who felt they were being excluded from using Public Access Easements (PAEs) for long periods of time. Herenga ā Nuku was fielding many complaints about access to the forests, especially Mt Richmond Forest Park.

Since then, though, the situation has changed.

To improve its understanding of recreation user access, OneFortyOne held an inaugural recreation stakeholder meeting in November 2024. This meeting included tramping clubs, horse riders, para and hang gliders, mountain biking groups, and local government representatives. Their insights led to improvements such as regular stakeholder email updates, QR codes on signage for real-time access to information, and a revamped website.

Shaun Truelock, General Manager of OneFortyOne NZ Forests, says it is important for the company to balance operational needs with community expectations, stating,

"Our forests serve as valuable community assets. We’re constantly balancing our daily work and operations with community expectations, recognising that for many locals our PAEs provide access to some of their favourite trails and outdoor areas.”

Additionally, OneFortyOne has upgraded its hunting program with a new online booking system, accommodating around 250 public hunters.

"The new booking system improves both safety and the overall hunting experience,” Truelock notes, highlighting its real-time availability and mandatory reporting features for hunters.

Following the positive outcomes of the recreationists’ first meeting, a follow-up session took place in June 2025 to review progress and ongoing access needs.

Graham Pomeroy from the Federated Mountain Clubs has thanked OneFortyOne for its commitment and willingness to work alongside the outdoor community.

“OneFortyOne has demonstrated leadership through initiatives such as the development of innovative technology for issuing hunting permits, the strategic adjustment of harvesting time frames to safeguard endangered species, and their proactive approach to minimising the impact of skid sites (areas within a forest where harvested logs are processed and loaded onto trucks) on easements, thereby enhancing public access,” says Pomeroy.

OneFortyOne has also committed to opening PAE that have been closed for harvest operations on weekends and public holidays where possible. Herenga ā Nuku’s regional field advisor in Te Tau Ihu me Kaikōura, Ange van der Laan, says “It has been encouraging to see OneFortyOne engage directly with recreational stakeholders, listen to them and make many positive changes that have enhanced public access. We applaud their commitment.”