S.I. industry ‘confident’

Press, 23 April 1983, Page 9

S.I. industry ‘confident’

Parliamentary reporter ; South Island industry was as confident about getting sales in Australia as it w|s about selling in the North Island, said the Minister if Customs, Mr Allen, iin Parliament yesterday, i He had been asked by the Social Credit member, Mr G. T. Knapp, how mafiy South Island businesses and companies had shifted (to the North Island in the last 12 months, and how many jobs had been lost as a' result. f

Mr Allen said he did not have figures for either, but that in the last five years in the South Island businesses opening had exceeded those closing. The Additional Job Programme had created 3364 South Island jobs in the last year, and regional development assistance had created another 629.

South Island industry had a big export market in the North Island, and had assured him that it would find it as easy to export to

Australia. The geographical relationship of South Island ports to the Australian east coast showed that, he said. South Island industry had also supported C.E.R., he said.

Mr Knapp said that “quite serious concern” about South Island manufacturers’ ability to compete on the Australian market had arisen in the last two to three months, but Mr Allen said that the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association supported C.E.R.