Developing Vast Wealth Of Exotic Forests

Chronicle (Levin), 5 November 1948, Page 7

Developing Vast Wealth Of Exotic Forests

- . . . ; VTELIilH^TQN, NpV. 4. . To develop Kew Zealand's ehormouS poteatial wealth in; exotic forests in the Rotorua area, new towns, railways, arid roads " wdiild require : to he. biiilt, the whole project ihvolving an expenditure of more than £11,000,000, said a report prepared by the Auckland Manufacturers' Association and. adopted by the annual conference of the New Zealand Manufacturere' Tederation today. * ' New Zealand hJid the resources to develop a piilp and newsprint industry capable 1 of supplying all the ' Domin.ion's reqtiirements ' of newsprint and writing paper Wbile,- at the same time, providing foir the export of more than • 200,000 tons of 1 newsprint, 50,000 tons of chemical pulp ahd 100,000,000 feet of sawn timber ahnualiy. The Rotorua district forests could be cut each year in perpetnity, in a 20-year cycle of growth. 1

A chemical pulp mill would be eatablished at Tokoroa at a cost of, £2,000,009 and the present staff of 750 was to be increased to 1750. The New Zealand Grovernment was reported to be prepared to place an order for a pulping plant ruuning ' into miilions but more than £11,000,000 iu expenditure would b,e hecessary for the whole 'project. ' The report "said that the Director of Forests was positive that New Zealand's forests. were capable of development oi a world market scale. " Evpn if New Zealand doubled her .pre-war use 0f "tiniber, ther.e would still be 50,000j000 cubie feet of exotic .softwoods. or 300,000,000 board feet available- for export. Present plans provided 1'pr an annuaf production of- 140, 000, 000 board feet of sawh . timbbr. for- export and' 70, 00(i toiis of pulp and paper products.' A further 30,000 tons of pulp and pap.er • products. . could be supplied if markets were available.A plant at Penrose had alrcady started the production ' of muJti-wall paper bags and would deal with New Zealand's requirements ' of bags of this type for cement, thls saving dollars. The exports of softwoods might well serve to adjust the adverse trade balance with Australia ' and India. India was a v'ast- untapped niarket which might 'weri' absorb all the t'imber we | could send her. . . | The report was prepared by Mr. J. R. Don, secretar'y of the Auckland Association.' - ■ .. . • ••