Slash For Cash

The Slash for Cash project is an initiative of the Tolaga Bay Inn Charitable Trust (TBICT) which is supported and driven by TBICT members Tolaga Bay Innovation and These Hands GSSE with the main objective of encouraging community members to clean up and heal the Tairawhiti and Wairoa regional lands by repurposing wood debris waste (slash) on the forestry lands, farmlands, orchards, beaches, waterways, roadsides and landfills into organic biochar fertilizer and smokeless charcoal briquettes; whilst also creating employment opportunities for the local east coast communities.

The primary challenge is the slightly over 250 000 tonnes of wood debris (slash) from the forestry fields which was washed down by floods during Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle and is currently lying on the beaches, roadsides, landfills, waterways, various public areas and various private properties in the east coast region of New Zealand . The slash has caused enormous destruction and continues to destroy public and private property; destroy roads; destroy waterways, litter the beaches and have proven to also be a hazard to human and animal life.

The secondary challenges are the soil erosion that is caused by clear felling in the forestry fields and was worsened by the recent floods in the forestry lands, farm lands, orchards and gardens of the east coast in New Zealand; and the use of toxic and/or expensive cooking fuels/energy by businesses and community members in the east coast region of New Zealand. 

The high level challenge is the current 3.6% unemployment rate in the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay region (East Coast) of New Zealand.
 

Our Solution is to use an environmentally friendly process known as carbonization to burn the slash waste and turn it into biochar, which we then use to make 2 products.
 

The first product is the sheep manure enhanced biochar which is to be sold to landowners and the forestry industry as a service in order to apply it to the lands to heal the eroded land caused by clear felling and floods. The same organic biochar fertilizer will also be sold to community members to use in their gardens that may lack nutrients due to them being washed away by the floods.

The second product is the smokeless charcoal briquettes which will be sold to community members and businesses in the community in 10kg box cartons to use as a cheap alternative clean fuel for cooking, for their bbqs and for heating up their homes.

We are hoping to heal the whenua and heal the whanau through your awhi and koha. 


Our project partners, supporters and stakeholders: 

Nga mihi!