Australian Orders For N.Z. Pine Tapering Off

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28133, 23 November 1956, Page 14

Australian Orders For N.Z. Pine Tapering Off

(New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER. November 22. New Zealand’s radiata pine, a highquality timber produced by some of the most modern mills in the world, was facing a difficult task trying to find overseas markets. Mr H. R Holt, managing director of a Hawkes Bay timber company, said in Napier yesterday.

Radiata pine’s chief competitors were Oregon from the United States and timbers from the Baltic countries, notably Sweden and Finland. Australia was still going through the fault-finding stage with a type of timber comparatively new to that country.

The struggle New Zealand’s radiata pine was having to find world markets, was confirmed by Mr Holt at an all-Australian timber conference in Sydney last week. He was one of about 40 Dominion delegates at this conference, attended by approximately" 750 timber industry representatives from many parts of the world. “We New Zealanders did not go to Australia to sell timber, but we did do our best to interest Australia in our radiata pine,” Mr Holt said. “But it was clear that the Australians were not yet ready to approve of radiata pine for general building purnoses.” A Press Association message from Rotorua says that when asked to comment on Mr Holt’s statement, the sales manager at the Waipa State mill, Mr A. W. Oakley, said that, hitherto, exports to Australia had comprised 75 per cent, of box grade and 25 per cent, of higher grade timber. The latter was used for furniture, flooring and weatherboarding.

There was a continuing demand in those ratios, but New Zealand’s job was to improve sales of higher grades suitable for building purposes. . A recent deputation to Australia had made a marked impression and the approach was being followed up by Mr T. Foley, the newly-appointed timber trade commissioner.

Mr Oakley said building in Australia at present was sub-normal, but he believed that with the increase in activity, the efforts of the Dominion would bear fruit. The larger lending institutions were giving the representations of the deputation serious consideration.

Exotic exports to Australia from the Waioa mill for the year ended March. 1956. were 7.300.000 board feet and the reason there was not a greater proportion of higher grade timber was because of heavy local demand and lack of kiln-drying space. Since then, however, the orders overseas had slackened somewhat. The New Zealand Forest Service was going to great pains to overcome the same kind of prejudice it had had to conquer in New Zealand and to increase the volume of suitable timber.