Second Newsprint Machine Opened At Kawerau

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30126, 9 May 1963, Page 10

Second Newsprint Machine Opened At Kawerau

(N.Z. Press Association)

ROTORUA, May 8. The statistics of the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company, Ltd., mill at Kawerau were staggering, said the Governor-General (Sir Bernard Fergusson) this afternoon.

Sir Bernard Fergusson, who referred to New Zealand's great thrust forward in industry was officially opening the mill’s second newsprint machine. The three statistical points Sir Bernard Fergusson mentioned were:—The consumption of electricity (more than Wellington); the doubling of newsprint output in 12 months; the capacity of the new machine (3000 ft a minute).

He said Kawerau—a town of many different nationalities and many different tribes of Maoris could blend itself into a really wonderful community. On the dais with Sir Bernard Fergusson and Lady Fergusson were Sir James Fletcher, chairman of directors of the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company, Ltd-, and Lady Fletcher, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) and Mrs Holyoake, and Mr D. W. Timmis, managing-director of Tasman, and Mrs Timmis. Also present were the Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) and Mrs Lake, the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman) and Mrs Goosman, the Minister of Forests (Mr Gerard) and Mrs Gerard, and Mrs P. B. Allen whose husband, the member for Bay of Plenty, is in the United States. Sir Bernard Fergusson was presented by Sir James Fletcher with twin pens, mounted on greenstone and Tasman pine. Vast Enterprise In 11 years Kawerau had been transformed from farmlands in a remote and quiet corner of the Bay of Plenty to toe site of a vast, industrial enterprise earning millions of pounds in New Zealand and in overseas funds, said Mr Holyoake.

“This second newsprint machine, installed at a cost of £4 million, completes a £l2j million programme—the company’s biggest expansion programme to date,” he said.

The Tasman enterprise, an example of successful joint ownership by the Government and private interests, had gained a proud reputation within New Zealand and overseas for the quality of its products. There had been remarkable progress since it began operations in 1955. Tasman was using wood from the Kaingaroa plains, which in the late 1920 s was the centre of one of the world's biggest afforestation programmes at that time, said Mr Holyoake.

"With its new machine, Tasman will more than double its newsprint production—from 90,000 to 220,000 tons a year.” At Mount Maunganui, the main export outlet for Tasman, there had been heavy capital investment in new wharf and storage facilities. The Union Steam Ship Company had had two ships specially built to carry newsprint from Mount Maunganui to Australia, he said. New Capital

Without the infusion of new capital, technical knowhow and sales outlet through the Bo water Paper Corporation. Ltd, London, it was doubtful whether toe second newsprint machine at Kawerau would have been possible at this stage, said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nordmeyer).

"May I say how delighted I was we were able to persuade Bowaters to come into this venture not only to

provide additional overseas capital and to bring with it invaluable technical knowhow, but also to provide the benefit of its world-wide marketing experience and set-up to those concerned,” he said.

History had vindicated the faith of those persons in Government and outside Government who Ijelieved New Zealand's prosperity depended on a rapid extension of her forest areas and who considered man-made forests would become a source of great wealth to the Dominion, said Mr Nordmeyer. “If enough trees are grown —and a dramatic increase in planting is needed now—New Zealand can be as famous for its pulp and paper by toe turn of the century as it is now for its butter, lamb and wooL” said Sir James Fletcher, welcoming the Governor-General.

“I believe the development of the pulp and paper industry in New Zealand will match the availability of forest to support It,” he said “Ln the broad picture, and in relation to the time it takes for a forest to grow, the problem is no longer that forests may go to waste for lack of an industry to use them, but that opportunities for industrial expansion may be lost at some future time through lack of forest. “We wiill continue to plant forests mainly because this company itself will need them to continue expansion, but also as a contribution to the national policy of greatly accelerated afforestation, which has this company * fullest support. “This year. New Zealand will probably become toe fifth largest exporter of newsprint in the world.” he said.