Coast council keen to assist

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 5

Coast council keen to assist

The West Coast Regional Development Council is keen to assist the Engineers’ Union in its proposals to set up new industry on the site of the P.D.L. factory in Westport, said the executive director of the council, Mr Alistair Reeves. The plant will close at the end of March with the loss of 52 jobs. The union has funded a feasibility study and two groups have already shown an interest in the plant, according to the secretary of the Canterbury branch of the union, Mr Bob Todd. Mr Rivers said that the proposals would look at a different operation. This is, part of the criteria for eligibility for regional assistance through either an investigation grant for development or employment schemes. If the union came to him with a scheme which fulfilled the criteria, it would just be a matter of processing its application. Mr Rivers said the consultants engaged by the union were “very competent,” and "if anyone can come up with a good scheme these people will.” Mr Todd said yesterday that he would go to Westport to discuss the plans with the groups involved next Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, discussions on a redundancy deal for those who will lose their jobs began on Wednesday. Only one or two minor points still had to be finalised, said Mr Todd. The package would be presented to the workers at a meeting at the factory at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. It would be up to them whether to accept or reject it, he said.