Shane Wilson: mill general manager on the Tai Rāwhiti mill reopening under Australian management

The Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, with new Australian owners.

About 87 staff were impacted by Japanese-owned Juken's decision to close the mill - amid financial difficulties and weak demand for Japanese housing wood products.

Millari Group of Australia confirmed in a statement that it will upgrade and re-establish the 25-hectare site in Gisborne over the coming months.

Mill general manager Shane Wilson says more details will be revealed over the next few weeks - with repairs and upgrades needed to boost operations.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Right now, some good business news for a change. New
owners will reopen tight after his sawmill. This means investment,
this means jobs. This is great stuff. The mill ran
for thirty years before closing in twenty twenty three, but
is now being acquired by Malari, which is an Australian outfit.
Before its closure, Shane Wilson worked at the mill for
twenty three years. He will return as general manager and

(00:39):
he's with me this evening. Hi Shane, Hey you rong.
How are you feeling?

Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm excited excited on en.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
What is the plan? What have you been told so
far about when and how this will happen?

Speaker 3 (00:53):
So currently we're in the settlement stage of the process.
Hopefully you get the key handed over to us leader
this month. On that key handing over where we'll be
entering site and recommissioning most of the machinery they're helping.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
It's an awesome outcome. What state is the machinery and
where they need to be upgrades and things.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
There would be a Laura upgrading. Eventually the mill is
like you said thirty years old and it is a
lebor intensive milk and I'm guessing we'll have to try
and get rid of that heavy lifting for our operators.

(01:43):
To be honest, What.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Type of reaction have you had from people, especially because
there would have been a lot of eighty seven made
redundant in twenty twenty three. Have you heard from some
of them?

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I have heard from a lot of them, seen as
when public have been getting calls from many saying chances
of me having a position back at the mill, and yeah,
it's been awesome. There's been a lot of critical staff

(02:15):
also with the technical side of everything. They've been bringing
up also and trying to secure a position at upcoming
malari email.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Shane, how many rots? Do you know how many jobs
they will be available?

Speaker 3 (02:32):
Initially we're going to just need fraw F staff to
do all the machinery and recommission most of the machinery
with the help of a lot of trade companies contractors
coming in also. Initially we will head towards the eighty

(02:54):
eighty people mark, So that's the initial one and in
two years, maybe one year, we'll be heading towards the
only for seven day operation, which will be around about
two hundred to two eighty staff.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Quiet, wow, so a lot more, a lot more than
the Japanese output. Ended with yes, what's everyone been doing since?

Speaker 3 (03:22):
You know?

Speaker 2 (03:23):
For those people who did lose their jobs, did they
all manage to find new jobs in the meantime? I mean,
or have people been have some people been kind of
without work for that time?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Are the ones that I know of have had secured
jobs on the day they had finished some had finished
earlier which went on gardening to secure jobs and Jane
looked after them. They did workshops, they did career days

(03:55):
on site for the stuff and a lot of the
community of the teaman and hired most of them all.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
Oh good, I'm pleased to hear it, and I'm pleased
to hear that this going to be more jobs to
go around for you guys soon. Shane, thanks very much
for your time. Appreciate it. Shane Wilson, the general manager
of malari in Z Mill which is coming back. The
mill is coming back to tight after your Gibsblane, which
is fantastic news.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
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