SUN IS NOT JUST A TOURIST ATTRACTION

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 31

SUN IS NOT JUST A TOURIST ATTRACTION

By early next year, Marlborough’s sunshine should be an essential fac tor in saving New Zealand about $2.5 million in overseas reserves. That is because Marlbor ough’s sunshine is an essentia! part of the production of salt at the Dominion Salt Company’s plant at I.ake Grassmere. From 6000 tons of salt tn the first harvest, tn 1955. Lake Grassmere’s output has increased to 60.000 tons, and the company has opened another plant, at Tauranga. Until now the company has not been able to pro duce New Zealand’s total salt requirements, as the local product was not thought to be of a sufficiently high quality For more than six months though, the company has been running tests on its vacuum-panned salt, and a British consultant has pronounced it as good as. if not better than imported salt. Also in the last six months, dairy companies in the Waikato area have been testing the salt to determine whether it is of the quality required for making butter and cheese. Both freezing and dairy companies have always used imported salt in their products, but by early next year they will probaoty be using New Zealand salt from the Lake Grassmere and Tauranga plants.

New Zealand also im ports about 1500 tons of microfined salt from the United States each year lotuse in the continuous butter-making process. The company w-itl cut out the need tor this import by setting up micro fining plants a- adjuncts to the vacuum panning plants at Tauranga and 1 ake Grassmere. When they are operating, both plants will be able to turn out a total ot IUi.OOo tons ot vacuum panned salt a year. Alreadv the Department of Trade and Industry has proposed not to issue any more licenses for importing salt from .lulv I. unless the Blenheim-based Dominion Salt Company gives its approval. Imported salt has been costing New Zealand about $2.5 million a year. By using New Zealand salt, the country will save that amount in overseas reserves. The Lake Grassmere works have come a long way since that initial harvest. The white, conical mountains of salt are an eve-catching sight in the Seddon District, as the sin beats down on acres of brine ponds, producing still more mountains. Thus the sun. in the last 20 years, has become more than just a tourist attraction in Marlborough — it has formed the basis tor a large and important industry.