Reasons For Favouring Waikato For Steel Mill

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30005, 14 December 1962, Page 14

Reasons For Favouring Waikato For Steel Mill

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Dec. 13.

The New Zealand Steel Investigating Company had made a comprehensive investigation of the suitability of all possible locations for the site of an iron and steel industry. and had found in favour of South Auckland, the associate Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) told Mr P. BlanchHeld ’Opposition. Westland) in Parliament today Mr Blanchfield asked that before the Government made a final decision on the location of the industry, consideration should be given to the claims of North Island industrial leaders, as reported in “The Press" of December 12. that the West Coast seemed the obvious place because of its vast potential for electricity, coal and ironsands.

“Full consideration has been given by the company, which conducted comprehensive Investigations of the suitability of all possible locations, including the West Coast. Dunedin, and Taranaki as sites for an iron and

steel industry,” Mr Shelton said. “The occurrence of large deposits of high-grade ironsands in the Waikato in association with the close proximity of highly reactive Waikato coal, and the economies in transport that would arise from the location near the main New Zealand market, were factors that governed the company’s recommencation that the industry should be established in South Auckland."

The report of the company, which is understood to contain details of its analysis of all sites, has not been made public.