Mayors approach PM and Jones about saving threatened factories

photo: 123 RF

Correction: An earlier version of this article reported that the mayors had met with the government. This has been corrected to clarify that no formal meeting took place.

Several mayors and local tribes want to find a way to keep the plant, which is threatened with closure, open.

Soaring electricity prices mean the Tangiwai sawmill and Karioi pulp mill face closure.

Mayors from Ruapehu, Kawerau and Taupo said they were “cautiously optimistic” after engaging with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones at a meeting this week.

Mayors have expressed concern for the central North Island economy and their communities following Winston Pulp International’s announcement that it intends to close its mill.

They warn that unless urgent solutions are found to address unsustainable energy costs, the impending blackouts are just the tip of the iceberg.

At a local government meeting this week, mayors approached Jones, who invited them to develop a proposal to keep the plant open.

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said the government’s invitation to WPI to work with the plant and come up with a proposal on how to keep it going showed its resolve.

“There’s no doubt the Prime Minister and Minister Jones are fully aware of the gravity of this situation. They share our concerns about the economy and the community and want to find a workable solution,” Cotton said.