Beech mill to go ahead

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 3

Beech mill to go ahead

Venture - Pacific’s scheme for a beech sawing and processing mill near Reefton will get approval by Christmas, said the district manager of New Zealand Timberlands in Westland, Mr Dave Hilliard, yesterday. The Forestry Corporation board had set up a subcommittee to consider the plan proposed by the company, which had been selected above a project proposed by

Nelson Pine Forests, Ltd, Mr Hilliard said. “The board considered the Venture-Pacific plan to be more commercially attractive,” he said. The sub-committee would negotiate with Venture-Pacific and expected a decision before Christmas. “We want to ensure that if the deal does go ahead it will be a success for the people in the region,” said Mr Hilliard. The two companies

were vying for the chance to mill and process about 90,000 hectares of beech forest in North Westland.

Venture-Pacific plans a high-technology sawing and processing plant at Reefton, which would handle the beech forest on a sustained yield basis. New Zealand Timberlands Is a subsidiary of the Forestry Corporation, and grew out of the New Zealand Forest Service.