Tokoroa welcomes prospect of 'monster' sawmill

1.00pm

Battling timber town Tokoroa would welcome the new "world scale" sawmill wood processor Carter Holt Harvey yesterday said it was planning.

Carter Holt said it was considering building a mill capable of processing 800,000 tonnes of logs a year and costing between $100 million and $150 million at either Marsden Point or at its Kinleith pulp and paper mill 7km south of Tokoroa.

South Waikato Mayor Neil Sinclair today said it would be great to have New Zealand's biggest mill near Tokoroa.

"This is good news for Tokoroa. We need jobs and we hope this will provide them. We obviously have the infrastructure in Tokoroa in terms of good rail links through to ports and centrality for other transportation loads."

Mr Sinclair said the council had not had any talks with Carter Holt Harvey yet, but it was keen to do what it could.

Kinleith union site delegate committee chairman Graham Holmes said the sawmill would be a real boost to Tokoroa.

"CHH have been in the business of closing things down here; it would be nice to see them in the business of expanding their business here."

He said choosing to have the mill at Kinleith would have advantages because it would be in the middle of the Kinleith forest and had a rail head.

- NZPA