STRONG DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA FOR DOMINION SOFTWOOD

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1948, Page 7

STRONG DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA FOR DOMINION SOFTWOOD

IP.AJ WELLINGTON, This Day. New Zealand has an opportunity which will probably not recur in the demand for her timber products, particularly softwoods, on the Australian market, said Mr P. A. Tanner and Mr A. C. Ingham, representing the Sydney and Suburban Timber Merchants Association. They are members of a large part of Australian delegates from State Forestry Commissions and sawmilling and timber interests which arrived from Sydney by the Wahine today to attend the timber and forestry conference at Rotorua next week.

They said the growth of timber in New Zealand was such that large original resources were being built up which were far greater than the Dominion would ever be able to consume herself. Consequently the only natural market for this trade was Australia, particularly Sydney, and the reason for their visit was to see what reciprocal trade could be built up Between Australia and New 7 Zealand. New Zealand wanted Australian hard woods and there was an Australian demand for Dominion softwoods and pinus insignus. a Mr Ingham said the Australian timber ffidustry’s problems were much the same as .New Zealand s—both countries needed more men and more machinery. Wartime demands had greatly decreased Australia’s resources of indigenous timber, but the production of Australian exotic timber had increased. The party included the New South Wales Government timber controller, Mr N Thompson, and the secretary of' the Victoria Forestry Commission, Mr Harold Murphy.