PHOSPHATE OUTPUT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31117, 21 July 1966, Page 12

PHOSPHATE OUTPUT

Christmas Is. Development CA'.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright/ CANBERRA, July 20. Australia and New Zealand are to combine in a joint £2.2 million (New Zealand) plan to double the output of phosphate from Christinas Island. The programme, announced by the Australian Minister for Territories, Mr C. E. Barnes, is expected to double the island’s output within two years. Present production is 780,000 tons a year. Mr Barnes said that within 18 months, production was expected to be increased to 16 million tons a year. An ultimate production goal of 2.5 million tons a year was planned. The joint development programme had been decided on after a survey had indicated that much greater reserves of phosphate existed on the island than at first thought Preliminary estimates had put the reserves at a minimum of 200 million tons. Mr Barnes said. The survey was continuing. Mr Barnes said the Austra-lian-New Zealand development programme would involve extraction of lower grade and high grade deposits of phosphate. The lower grades had previously been considered as unsuitable for superphosphate manufacture, but techniques had been evolved making them suitable for agricultural purposes. The New Zealand Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) confirmed that the New Zealand and Australian Governments had approved the development programme. “The increased resources on Christmas Island will make New Zealand less dependent on supplies from sources outside the control of the British Phosphate Commissioners,” he said.

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