$70m export lift from new plant

By PAULA OLIVER forestry writer

Carter Holt Harvey's new $132 million laminated veneer lumber plant at Marsden Pt is expected to boost New Zealand's export earnings by $70 million a year.

Chief executive Chris Liddell said at the plant's opening yesterday that this would be achieved once it reached capacity.

The plant, which spans the equivalent of five rugby fields, is Carter Holt's first big greenfield investment in 20 years.

It is made out of laminated veneer lumber.

The operation creates 110 jobs.

Mr Liddell said the first stage of the plant was operating and further stages would be completed in the next two years.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the project was a boost to the forestry industry as it faced a massive increase in harvesting levels in the next five years.

It was the industry's role to invest as Carter Holt had, she said, but the Government also had a role to play in areas such as infrastructure, trade access and biosecurity.

"Logs sold as a commodity do not command anything like the prices of processed products," Helen Clark said. "It is an incredible challenge."

The plant will make three products for use in residential and commercial construction.

Mr Liddell said its new technology would help Carter Holt to build new markets in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan.

The mill is the first of its type in New Zealand, and one of only four in the world.

It is capable of pressing laminated veneer lumber to 120mm thickness, compared with the 90mm average.