ASBESTOS PRODUCTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 44, 15 November 1941, Page 11

ASBESTOS PRODUCTS

Manufacture To Start In Christchurch VALUE IN WAR EFFORT (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 14. A licence has been granted to a company which will be known as Dominion Asbestos, Ltd., for the erection of buildings and plant and the manufacturing rights of all types of asbestos products. In a statement today the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr, Sullivan, said this factory will be established in Christchurch. The company has already secured land for buildings and given an undertaking that it will call tenders within the next two months for these buildings. As the greater portion of the machinery is being built in .New Zealand, it is expected that the plant will be in operation within five months. “The establishment of this factory in Christchurch,” said Mr. Sullivan. “is following the policy that the Government has advocated—the establishing of New Zealand industries throughout the country. A very large asbestos factory is operating in Auckland. Christchurch, therefore, offered a natural location for the second unit connected with this industry. Asbestos is urgently required today for all tvpes of buildings connected with the war effort and as the present unit in Auckland is not capable of coping with the demand, it is therefore of vital necessity in the interests of New Zealand that this industry get established so as to give the fullest assistance in our war effort.”

Mr. Sullivan said it was known that New Zealand possessed very valuable deposits of asbestos fibre but as a very considerable amount of development work required to be carried out, it was necessary to import at present a portion of the raw materials*used in the industry. After the war the necessary development work would be carried out so that the industry could become 100 per cent, independent of any imported article.