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Invercargill's mayor Tim Shadbolt wants to meet with the Government to discuss its carbon emissions trading scheme as a major employer in the region warns it may be forced to close.
The owner of the Tiwai Point Aluminum Smelter near Bluff, multi-national mining giant Rio Tinto, has told Parliament that if the bill was passed in its current form, the company would move to China.
Mr Shadbolt says almost 1,000 people turn up to work at the smelter every day, making it the region's largest employer. He says the closure would have a huge impact socially as the company is also a great corporate citizen and has funded initiatives such as installing insulation in homes and granting educational scholarships.
Mr Shadbolt says the smelter is responsible for $1 billion worth of exports a year.
- NEWSTALK ZB
