Slash for Cash is turning wood debris into opportunity, helping communities restore their whenua while building local jobs and income.
Trust Tairāwhiti supported the Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust with $203k to help deliver the kaupapa, focused on local solutions to land restoration.
Using mobile carbonisation kilns, the team converts slash into plain biochar, biochar fertiliser and smokeless briquettes. This clears debris from flood‑prone areas and reduces the risk of further damage. These products can then be used to lock carbon into the soil and improve land health.
Communities still recovering from severe weather events are leading this work on the ground, restoring their whenua while building skills and income closer to home.
“We have trained 18 people across sites in Ruatōria, Tolaga Bay and Wairoa, and are now transitioning them into full‑time employment,” says co‑founder Thabiso Mashaba.
At full capacity, the operation is expected to process up to 4,320 tonnes of slash each year.
“The more kilns we have, the more we can do,” says Thabiso.
Slash for Cash won the 2025 Sustainable Business Award for Transformational Leadership and is steadily moving toward commercial independence through product sales, carbonisation and strategic partnerships.
Products are available in shops across Tairāwhiti and Wairoa and online from their website.
