TASMAN PAPER SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27213, 3 December 1953, Page 10

TASMAN PAPER SCHEME

PROGRESS OF WORK AT KAWERAU CHANGE IN DATES FOR PRODUCTION (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 2.

The Tasman Pulp and Paper Company has set back the date for starting "the sawmill at Kawerau and ad-' vanced the date for starting the newsprint mill. The chairman of directors of the company (Sir James Fletcher) indicated this today. He said that work on the town and mill sites was up to schedule, and labour was coming forward freely. Previously it was planned that the sawmill should come into production about September or October of next year, and the newsprint mill by the last quarter of 1955, but Sir James Fletcher said today that after a complete review of delivery dates for all overseas equipment and a review of the material and labour situation in New Zealand the date for starting the sawmill had been fixed for January. 1955. The pulp mill should be in operation by April, 1955, and the newsprint mill in June of the same year. Sir James Fletcher said he expected that by September, 1954, the labour force on the mill site would be built up to 1200 men. The building of accomfnodation was being pushed forward to enable this to be done.

“The works being carried out under the Ministry of Works have made excellent progress.” he said. “The completion of the railway line to the mill site has been pushed through in record time. The line is already carrying a considerable amount of freight. “The new bridge over the Tarawera river, which connects the town and the mill site, will be officially opened during the first week in January.* The roads through the town are now being formed, and already it H possible to get a good idea of the town lay-out.” Building operations, he said, would be carried on throughout the coming holidays on both the mill and' town housing.