Smelter discussions

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 1

Smelter discussions

PA Dunedin Discussions are continuing between the Government and the Fletcher Chal-lenge-Pechiney-CSR consortium over the Aramoana smelter project, company and Government officials said last evening. A consortium spokesman heading the project, Mr G. S. A. Hamilton, told the “Otago Daily Times” newspaper from Auckland that a re-evaluation of the project by both sides was taking place. The Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, also said yester-

day that discussions were continuing with FletcherPechiney officials. The consortium deferred the project in 1982 when it was unable to reach agreement with the Government on power prices. Mr Hamilton said no deadline had been imposed by the Government on the talks. Data needed to be updated, and since February there had been an interchange of information by Pechiney and CSR with Government departments. The information was

being “digested" and responses made. “I am aware that those negotiations are continuing,” Mr Hamilton said. The nature of discussions was for both the consortium and the Government to try to clarify the date so as to be able to say if the project could proceed, he said. Certain assumptions had been made in last year’s Energy Plan and part of the re-evaluation was an examination of these assumptions by Government officials, Mr Hamilton said.