OVERSEAS PAPER DISCUSSES SCHEME FOR MURUPARA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 4, 1 March 1950, Page 5

OVERSEAS PAPER DISCUSSES SCHEME FOR MURUPARA

The proposed development of Murupara to exploit the large resources of New Zealand’s exotic softwoods has attracted the attention of many interests not only in this country but also in England 'and America. An indication of this interest is shown in an "article on the project published in the British magazine. The Recorder, in December of last year. The development of this large area will bring industrial life and wealth and will reduce the country’s dependence on overseas sources for newsprint and heavy paper, the paper says.

State Enterprise The scheme is a State enterprise to manufacture newsprint and other woodpulp products at an estimated cost of £25,000,000 and will be established in the Murupara district, more than 30 miles from Whakatane,' a coastal town in the Bay of Plenty. “The Murupara project, for which plant hafe been ordered from “soft currency” countries will be capable of dealing with 70 to 80 million feet of timber a year. Great development work will be needed before the Murupara project begins production,” continues the Recorder.

“A town to accommpdate 10,00 Q people, including 2,000 to 3,000 workers, will be built, and a railway line to provide an outlet to the coast must be constructed.

“The 40-mile route v for the railway, from Murupara to the main east coast line at Edgecumbe, has already been surveyed. “There are now no ports on the east coast capable of handling the output of the mill and paper works, and it is thought likely that Tauranga will be developed to provide an outlet.”

Estimated Cost The estimate of £25,000,000 for the project will probably include N the cost of developing the port of Tauranga, which will be brought within 100 miles of the great Kaingaroa pine plantations by the ijew railway.

Tauranga is not capable of handling large overseas ships, but with development, estimated to cost £250,000, could accommodate ships in the inter-colonel‘trade.

Maori land covering at least 1,246 acres will be acquired for the pulpmill, saw mill, railway goods yard and machine shops at Murupara. The town of Murupara, which will have a high school, its own milk supply and market gardens, will be built on Crown Land.

The latest step in the development of the Murupara project was the recent shipment of 230 cords of New Zealand insignis pine to the Southland Paper Mills, at Lufkin, Texas—the only mills which have successfully made paper pulp \ from the type of timber. The cost of testing the paper-making qualities of the timber is high. Cost For Tests *

It is estimated that it will cost £25,000 for a full 24-hour run at the Lufkin mill, and £IO,OOO for further pulping tests with timber already shipped*- to Australia. Following this description the paper gives some details of the reports on the scheme already prepared by some overseas firms.

This article in The Recorder was, ( of course, written before the change of Government at the last elections.