MURUPARA MILL SCHEME IS NOW WELL ADVANCED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 56, 23 February 1949, Page 5

MURUPARA MILL SCHEME IS NOW WELL ADVANCED

State, Private Or Co-op. Control? “The Murupara pulp mill project is well advanced, and the reports will shortly be reviewed by the Government, which will have to give consideration to whether the scheme is to be run by the State, handed over to private enterprise, or run on an approved co-operative basis,” said Mr W. Sullivan, M.P., talking to a Beacon representative on his return from the National Party conference at Wellington. Asked what he meant by a “cooperative basis,” Mr Sullivan explained that in Sweden similar projects had been run very satisfactorily by the Government’s putting up one-third of the capital, taking a seat on the directorate, and raising the rest of the money from private investors, who also provided the rest of the directors. Main outlet for the timber and other products from Murupara was apparently going to be Tauranga, Mr Sullivan said. From there shipping to overseas ports and distribution to other parts of New Zealand would be simplified. It seemed certain the new railway would be from Tauranga via Edgecumbe to Murupara. That line would be of immense value to the Murupara and Galatea districts for handling stock, fertilisers and other farm needs. Further land development in that district, and the closer settlement that must follow would make an opening for a phosphate works to serve the whole of this area, and he felt farmers should push to have such a works established at an early date, as a likely practical answer to the fertiliser question, both as regards cost and supply.