“Markets Available For N.Z. Manufacturers In Australia”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29004, 19 September 1959, Page 4

“Markets Available For N.Z. Manufacturers In Australia”

tlieti Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. September 18. There was ‘'little reason” why New Zealand could not find increasing markets in Australia. Mr H. C. Menzies, senior Australian Trade Commissioner, told the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association.

He also suggested that New Zealand industry might gain from a study of development which had taken place in Australia. Addressing the association’s annual dinner, Mr Menzies said: “It is of little use New Zealand manufacturers saying to us: ‘Why don’t you buy more of our goods,’ when, in fact, I think the question they should ask is one to themselves: ‘Why don’t we sell more to Australia.’ ” Australians wanted to know more about New Zealand, particularly manufacturing. Activity and publicity by New Zealanders would repay the effort and expenditure. The Australian Government’s policy was to free imports as far as possible and therefore the man who could sell under this condition was the one who got the business. Australia had demonstrated that the development of manufacturing tended to make for more open markets in the long run. “That is very much the case in the United Kingdom and the

United States and there is no reason why this same development should not occur in this country.” Mr Menzies said that though New Zealand lacked some of the more obvious raw materials, it had two very great assets in the timber industry and in the almost unlimited supply of hydro-elec-tric power.

The timber industry was going ahead rapidly and the recent announcement that Tasman Pulp and Paper, Ltd., would increase production should mean increased markets for newsprint in Australia. Mr Menzies said that in Australia it had been “most gratifying” to see how manufacturers were becoming more export-minded and were contributing through their representatives much to the formulation of policy and the close co-operation between industry, commerce and the Government.