It's important to note, too, the value this operation brought to some of the small operators when this storm-damaged timber was able to be removed. About 100,000 cubic metres of rimu came down, and about 35,000 cubic metres of red and silver beech. It created employment and work for the small mills and the small contractors, and it also created this high-value raw material that went on to become high-value products. The regional economic benefits were very plain to see. In fact, one of the ironies of it was that because of that legislation some of that material went on to repair the damaged caused by another major event, which was the Canterbury earthquakes, when some of the old villas were able to use that rimu timber for their repairs. 