Supermill planned for Marsden Pt

A proposal to build a "supermill" at Marsden Pt could create 250 jobs, says Carter Holt Harvey.The company is considering building the mill capable of processing 800,000 tonnes of logs a year - at a cost of between $100 million and $150 million - at either Marsden Pt or Kinleith.

It also announced it would keep Timberland forests in Northland and the central North Island, while unloading about $400 million worth of forests throughout New Zealand.

News of the proposal has come hot on the heels of two other major enterprises at Marsden Pt - Mighty River Power's plans to refire the mothballed Marsden B power station using coal, which could create 100 jobs, and the Marsden Pt Oil Refinery $180 million Future Fuels upgrade, with the potential for 300 jobs.