Steel From Mill Next Year

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31782, 12 September 1968, Page 26

Steel From Mill Next Year

(N Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. The New Zealand steel mill at Glenbrook, near Auckland, would be producing steel from West Coast ironsands early next year, the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall) said in Parliament today.

He was speaking during the second reading debate of the Ministry of Natural Resources Bill —a private member’s bill introduced by Mr W. L. Rowling (Lab., Westland). The bill seeks to create a Ministry of Natural Resources to co-ordinate, promote and encourage the most effective production of fuel, power, and minerals. Opening the debate, Mr Rowling said it was clearly necessary to rationalise both the production and the distribution of power and minerals to minimise costs and to increase self-sufficiency. He called for a significant change of attitude toward mineral exploitation and the development of natural resources.

“We must have a framework on which this sort of work can develop and this bill provides it,” he said. The real purpose of the bill was to reveal the interacting nature of fuel, power, and

mineral resources and the need to co-ordinate their fragmentary development. Some 295 off-shore oil prospecting licences had been granted, Mr Rowling said. But he still thought New Zealand was doing too little to help itself in mineral prospecting. “I can’t really believe there is a shortage of capita! in this country. What we do need is a sense of leadership and direction and a Ministry of Natural Resources could do this.”

_ Mr Marshall said he found nothing to quarrel with in the objectives of the bill, but claimed that Mr Rowling did less than justice to the very great efforts in mineral exploration and development. The attitude towards the development of mineral resources had changed, he said. This was demonstrated by the minerals committee of the National Development Conference and the Statutory Mineral Resources Committee. If Mr Rowling was prepared to open his eyes and see what was going on in the country he would not be so critical, said Mr Marshall. Mr C. J. Moyle (Lab., Manukau) said New Zealand must

diversify its exports. Minerals had been neglected. “We need similar development in New Zealand to that taking place in Australia," he said.

It was significant that the areas of New Zealand most likely to produce mineral wealth were the least populous and in some cases were barely able to keep their existing populations. “It is also interesting to note that some parts of these areas have hardly been touched by man,” he said. If New Zealanders could invest in Australia’s mineral industry surely they could be persuaded to do the same in New Zealand. “There is not enough confidence in the mineral industry in this country and this is one of the reasons why my colleague has brought forward this bill," he said.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) said it was apparent that there was very little difference between the objectives of the Government and of the Opposition. However, Mr Rowling’s bill tended to put too many functions into one ministry. “I suggest we must make up our minds whether this is to be a development and promotional ministry or one that is very largely concerned with social problems—for example the welfare of miners.” Mr Taiboys said that it would merely create problems if the proposed ministry tried to cope with all these functions.