KINLEITH TIMBER INDUSTRY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27593, 25 February 1955, Page 8

KINLEITH TIMBER INDUSTRY

Overseas Exchange Earnings

YEAR’S EXPORTS VALUED AT £1,300,000

At the present rate of production, the Kinleith mills are producing 60,000,000 board feet of timber, 43,000 tons of paper, and 20,000 tons of paper a year. Since the mills were officially opened a year ago, they have earned £1,300,000 in overseas exchange. Of the 31,000,000 board feet of timber exported by New Zealand to Australia, nearly one-third was supplied by these mills. The export of Kinleith kraft pulp to the Australian newsprint industry has risen to more than 20,000 tons. The pine forest industries are providing about one-quarter of New Zealand's exports to Australia, and this year there will be a further substantial increase.

Last year the kraft pulp and kraft paper made in New Zealand for domestic use saved £1,500,000 in overseas exchange, making * total gain, including the £1,300,000 earned overseas by pulp and timber exports, of nearly £3,000,000 to New Zealand's exchange position from these Kinleith industries alone.

Production from the Kinleith industries for the year from the official opening in February, 1954, is as follows: Timber, 42.000,000 board feet- kraft pulp, 42,000 tons; paper, 16,730 tons.

Exports were:— Timber, 10,000,000 board feet; pulp, 22,000 tons. In 1952, 97,000,000 superficial feet of timber was cut. Now, more than 220,000,000 superficial feet of logs for the manufacture of pulp, paper, and sawn timber is cut annually. Further expansion in production will take place when a new continuous pulp digester and additional units to the bandsaw mill are installed.