SAWMILL PROPOSAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26215, 27 July 1946, Page 6

SAWMILL PROPOSAL

CLAIMS OF CITY SITE TAPANUI CRITICS ANSWERED Replying to the strong criticism expressed by residents of the Tapanui and South Otago districts, over the proposal that Dunedin should be the site of a large sawmill to cut the exotic timber resources of Otago, the advocates of the plan pointed out to a Daily Times reporter yesterday that it had not been put forward with any intention of depriving the country districts of some benefits or in a spirit of “ Dunedin first at any price.” The city, it was stated, was suggested as the site for purely economic reasons and because the results of such a choice would prove advantageous to the people of Otago as a whole. Availability of Labour

In their reply the Dunedin residents interested in such a proposal said that it had already been emphasised that the commencement of large-scale use of plantations in the Tapanui area would require a big force of district labour, even if all the logs produced were railed to Dunedin. The numbers of men employed in felling (including thinning) and logging would probably exceed the number of men engaged in a central sawmill and the district labour supply would be severely taxed, even without the additional labour demand of a sawmill. The modern sawmill required a variety of skilled labour and services which a substantial centre of population was usually more capable of supplying than a country district. “ The suggested central, sawmill is intended to provide milling facilities for all exotic forests within 100 miles of Dunedin,” one Dunedin man stated, “ and it is not for the Tapanui area alone. A local sawmilling expert has stated that he could dispose of an annual output of 9,000,000 feet from such a mill in order to supply local and export markets. The combined resources of all State, local body, and private plantations within a considerable radius of Dunedin would be required to supply the log requirements of such a mill. “ Sawmilling and forestry experts have given their opinions that Dunedin is the most desirable site,” he continued, “ and their statements appear to be supported by overseas practice. The bulk of the timber cut within 100 miles of the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States is railed to large mills situated on the coast where harbour facilities are available. A central sawmill has recently been established at Cork in Ireland, in order to mill timber which is railed to this central point from public and private forests throughout the country. Decision for Experts \

“All that is requested,” he said, “is that the State Forest Service, when it sells its logs, should leave the purchaser free to select his own site and locality for’the mill. The experts in the trade would then be able to decide for themselves where they considered they could carry out their operations to the best advantage and at the least possible cost. “ If Dunedin is chosen as the site.” he added, “ fears of over-development should not trouble residents, as the population has been stationary for 10 years and an increase would be most welcome to assist' in supporting and improving civic services and amenities. Decentralisation has no application to Dunedin in its present condition."