However, there will be an additional windfall for forestry workers, as an extra 40 jobs will be created.
The Waimate District Council has now cordoned off damaged forestry blocks, and chief executive Tony Alden said further security and safety measures had also been put in place.
''The clean-up work has commenced and the first part of that was cordoning off areas where trees had fallen. There were numerous areas where large trees or forestry plantations had been damaged.
''We have had an issue with people going into these areas with chainsaws to take personal firewood and we have had to take steps to prevent that, because of the danger of trees that could fall on them while doing that.''
Mr Alden said the council would advertise logs for sale soon, but that would be done in a ''controlled manner''.
Laurie Forestry Ltd general manager Allan Laurie, said the company, which had bases in Waimate, Christchurch and Marlborough, would now need an extra 35-40 people to man harvesting crews for the next 12 months.
''We are looking at the moment for an additional seven crews to join our fleet of 12 key contractors to enable the harvest of wind-damaged trees through Canterbury and North Otago.''
Mr Laurie said the expected harvest across the whole of Canterbury would be double the usual annual amount, and added that the larger harvest would also ensure a boost in other related jobs.
''Of course, we will need truck drivers and trucking firms, as well. We are currently talking to trucking firms on how they can assist us.
''The expectation is that there will be about somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes of wood to harvest in that time-frame, and we only really have 12 months to extract it before it deteriorates.''
Mr Alden said the council was still in ''clean-up mode'', and the monetary costs of last week's storm would not be known until assessors had been able to take stock of the situation.
Knottingley Park and Victoria Park were still open to the public, but some areas were cordoned off due to fallen trees, he said.
Because the damage happened after June 30, any costs would be carried over into the council's 2013-14 annual report, and would not effect the current draft annual report, which was under audit at present, he said.
Figures published in the draft 2012-13 annual report indicated that the council was expected to incur a deficit of $314,000, due in part to legal costs and a $150,000 bill to repair damage caused by heavy flooding in June.
