Unlimited Possibilities Of Softwood Timber

Chronicle (Levin), 19 June 1948, Page 5

Unlimited Possibilities Of Softwood Timber

X'ELSOX, June IS. The timber resouives of Xew Zealand 's exotic forests if utilised would evenlually enaiile the Dominion to export liuiidreds of millions of board feet of softwoods a vear, stateil the Commispioner of State Forests (Hon. C . F. Skinneri, interviewed at Takaka. He u'le coinnientirig on the report that at Ihe Aust ralia-Xew Zealand trade talks the 'onimonwealth liail lieen asked to accept greater imports of Xew Zealand timber in order to balance the trade po>ition lietween the two countries. It was (lillicult to estimate accurately the aniount of softwood timber waiting lo be miiled in Xew Zealand, Mr. j Hkimier said, but liuge areas were coming into prolit now in tlie Rotorua area. Oue estimate put the growing rate of large forests established there at over a million feet a vear. The factors responsible for liniiting increased output at present were skortages of shipping, niachinery and manpovver. The State was at present operating two niills in the Eotorua-Taupo area. The largest, a Swedish log frame mill ut Waipa, had been designed to pro duce between 7,(100,000 and S, 000, 000 feet of timber a vear, but last year 111,000, 000 feet were. cut. Maehinery was 011 order for an even larger mill which tlie Government planned to establish at .Murupara (between Rotorua and Wairoa). In the l'irst stage of its development the mill woAild have an output of 4 .),( 100,000 feet a year which would later be increased to 1 00,000,000 feet, making it the largest Swedish log t'rame mill in the world. Asked how the forests products industry was likelv to be organised, Mr. Skinner said he was not vet in a position to make a stafemcnt on this question. Exotic timber grown in the Nelson distriet he eonsidered to be the best in Xew Zealand if not in the World. Its rate oi' growth was also Very fast.