Gloom over big job prospects

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 4

Gloom over big job prospects

PA Wellington Gloomy prospects are emerging for big project jobs about mid-1984. A Major Projects Advisory Group newsletter, published yesterday by the Trade and Industry Department, says project on-site jobs will peak this summer. The 10,000 peak would then dip to about 5500 by mid--1984, the update of this decade’s main development projects says. A second peak of about 8000 is unlikely until 1990, when central North Island forestry starts to dominate paper-pulping and milling. The group includes “fast track” development of both South Island and North Island power stations, an

option since dropped by the Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, after Aramoana smelter plans cooled. These projects boost the group’s jobs forecasts by 3500 in 1989, and an average 1500 for most of this decade. The group survey, made early in October, lists 38 projects in petrochemicals, electricity, forestry, transport, cement, and high-en-ergy metal refining. The 16 already under way are dominated by Taranaki urea fertiliser, petrol, methanol, and liquefied petroleum gas projects, plus Northland refinery extensions. The group estimated these five projects would account for 42 per cent of this summer’s job peak.