New Sawmill Will Employ Over 50 Men

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 67, 26 August 1965, Page 1

New Sawmill Will Employ Over 50 Men

Pletcher Holdings Ltd. have decided to proceed with plans for a large sawmill on a site adjacent to the Taupo borough. Announcing this today, the managing director of the company, J. C. said the mill would occupy area of 52 acres and would produce 19 million board feet of timber a year. A total of 50 men would be employed and this would materialiy benefit the town and district.

The site of the proposed mill, 52 acres, is adjacent to the Lands and Snrvey Department's native plant nursery, just outside Taupo borongh, with a frontage along Aerodrome Road, running toward ArK atiatia Road. Notification of the intention to use the site for a timber mill has already been advertised and no objections, were received The twenty-fifth annual, report of the Fletcher Organisation says that a large proportion of the raw material for future development would come from the company's Tauhara exotic forest, near Taupo, where peeler logs, saw logs and post material were already being

produced. This year, a programme of silvicnltural treatment of the second crop was begun which would result in increased yields and improved quality. During the past three years, the level of the company's exotic sawn timber production has gone up by nearly 50 per cent., according to the report. Over the same period, the . level of indigenous production decreased slightly. This was in accordance with the company's long-term policy to meet the declining supply of indigenous timbers. The buliding programmer's approval has been given for the mill which will have the most up-to-

date bandsaw equipment available. The production of 19 million board feet will be achieved on a single shift basis. Mr Fletcher confirmed that the mill will have a very long life. "It will draw log supplies from the Tauhara forest, which Fletchers purchased some three years ago from Afforestation Proprietary Ltd. Fletchers have already spent a considerable sum of money on improving the ^quality of the young growing stock in the forest with the intention of ultimately producing high-grade saw logs and peeler logs. "Timber from the mill will be supplied to Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Auckland and Waikato markets," Mr Fletcher added. "It is also anticipated that a portion of the mill's production will be exported. "The start of what is hoped will be the first stage of a series of industrial developments in the Taupo district should be very welcome as it means the tourist and farming industries will now be supported by a largescale permanent forest in- ( dustry and the economy of ' the borough of Taupo and J the surrounding districts i must benefit materially," Mr I Fletcher concluded.