STATE MILLS FOR EXOTIC TIMBER IN- SOUTHLAND

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1949, Page 8

STATE MILLS FOR EXOTIC TIMBER IN- SOUTHLAND

INVERCARGILL, October 6

About 25 houses will be built at the Main Camp Settlement just outside Tapanui Borough, to house employees of the State Forest Service when the new sawmill begins operations at Conical Hills, about March next. In addition there will be a hostel at Tapanui, and detached camps at Dusky and Conical hills forests. A small pilot mill, already established, is at present milling; for this building programme. The new mill will start milling pinus insignis which constitutes the bulk of the timber to be cut, in clear fellings and thinnings. In addition there will be a small quantity of Douglas fir, and Corsican and Western yellow pine from thinnings. A small quantity of larch is also available for milling. The timber to be cut at Conical hills dates back to the early years of afforestation, and was planted at the same ti,me as plantings were made at Naseby, Hanmer, Whakarewarewa, and Waitapu, about 15 miles south of Rotorua.

Survey has recently been made of the Tapanui area, but figures are not yet available of the potential yield. The new mill is expected to have an annual output of 6,500,000 board feet, but it is planned to double that figure within about 13 years. With the opening of the new mill, the whole cycle of afforestation from the nurseries to clear felling and replanting will come within the scope of the activities at Tapanui. The planting in that area lasi year covered 50 to 60 acres. The State Forest Service is also milling and thinning at Pebbly Hills, and 100 acres was planted last year west of Otautau whore required trees are raised in a nursery.