Sockburn Toyota plant has some worries

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 12

Sockburn Toyota plant has some worries

Toyota New Zealand, Ltd, assembles 30 per cent of its completely-knocked-down cars in Christchurch at its Sockburn assembly plant in Buchanans Road, but the South Island absorbs only 19 per cent of the new cars sold nationwide.

The point was made last week by Bob Field, managing director of Toyota New Zealand, and Jack Wills, the sales and marketing manager of the company.

Questioned by an Auckland motoring writer about the future of the Christchurch plant, in the

light of the statistical information produced by Mr Wills at a Wellington press conference, Mr Field took some care to convey the impression that his company would ■do everything to ensure that the plant would continue to produce cars.

He pointed out that although some Christchurch production had to be shipped to the North Island, in reality the cost involved was comparable with that in delivering cars to the Wellington area from Toyota’s Thames assembly plant. However, in the course of conversation later in the day, Mr Field expressed his concern and admitted that the plant would go the way of all flesh unless the trend highlighted by Mr Wills was arrested and reversed. Messrs Field and Wills are South Island born and bred. They say that blood is thicker than water and particularly anxious that the Buchanans Road plant should survive. However, they grudgingly admit that business considerations might, in the ultimate, weigh against their personal wishes.

Closure would leave the South Island with only the New Zealand Motor Corporation, Ltd’s Honda assembly plant in Nelson and it could have a widespread effect on Christchurch, Canterbury and the South Island, in general.

The loss of the plant would affect the revenue of the Lyttelton Harbour Board. One of Toyota’s car carriers makes regular and reasonably frequent calls at the port to deliver completely-built-

up cars and a rather larger cargo of completely - knocked - down assembly kits. Although the car carrier would probably continue to call at Lyttelton, it is likely that there would be longer intervals between visits because there would be no need for the frequency to maintain the assembly plant with completely-knocked-down kits.

Also, there would be no calls for the ancillary services required to transport the cars as com-pletely-knocked-down kits from the ship to the assembly plant.

Plant closure would, of course, mean the dismissal of assembly line workers.

Mr Field admitted that Toyota New Zealand had adopted a rather laidback approach as far as the Christchurch plant was concerned, and agreed that South Islanders probably should be made more aware of its existence.

The company was considering mounting an awareness campaign which might encourage South Islanders to be more supportive of the local assembly industry.