Forestry in parts of Tairawhiti ground to a halt

Checkpoint

Once the economic driver of Tairawhiti, forestry in some parts of the region has ground to a halt. The sector's decline has triggered calls for the government to urgently commit to helping resource a transition into other more sustainable industries that use land. Local researchers and entrepreneurs have plenty of ideas - everything from therapeutics to data marketing native forests, film production and computer games. Hawke's Bay Tairawhiti reporter Alexa Cook went to find out what options are in the region other than pine trees.