The government looks set to extend a helping hand to industries struggling with gas costs, though it’s understood this will be unlikely to take the form of grants.
Last winter was brutal, with hundreds of regional jobs lost in industry closures due to high operating costs.
Over the past two years, six wood processing facilities have closed across New Zealand, including the Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa and the Eves Valley Sawmill near Nelson.
This year it was announced that both Heinz Watties and McCain Foods would wind down operations partly due to gas and electricity costs – taking hundreds of jobs with them.
And over the weekend a public meeting was scheduled amid concerns about the future of two of the Far North town’s timber mills.
