Weston Kirton: Ruapehu mayor on Winstone Pulp International shutting down central North Island mills

Two North Island mills have failed to strike a deal to save their operations.

Winstone Pulp International announced its pulp and saw mills in the Ruapehu District will close indefinitely, putting more than 200 people out of work.

Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton says they'd been talking with Government Ministers and electricity providers trying to save the mills, but with no luck.

He says he's devastated.

"We've had our ups and downs, as you know, but this is a big hit. I'm really taking it personally."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, good afternoon. After weeks of uncertainty, Winston Pulp International
has decided to permanently close its two mills and do
a Pair Who. This will mean the loss of about
two hundred and thirty jobs in the central North Island
Western Curtain is the do a Pair Who district? Mayor
Hey Western, Yes, good afternoon, head it So nothing they
were offered was enough.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
We didn't get into the details, Heather, but you can
only assume that even with the good intentions, nothing actually
came of it, which is very disappointing. And it's a
disaster for our community to hear that they couldn't see
their way to actually get things over the line. So
really disappointing, and I guess we've got to pick up

(00:38):
the pieces as a community.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Do you know what they were offered? No?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
It can only speculate that it was from the summer
Alliance at t White Point, but I can't confirm that.
So obviously there was some deal or some sort of
negotiations going on, but the detail of that was never
public or we went directly involved in that, and we
only went on what the chief executive was telling us,

(01:05):
and that they were in deep conversation with the central
government and energy companies and obviously they couldn't strike a
acceptable deal on behalf of Winston Polp Weston.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
You must be getting pretty demoralized about what the future
of your district looks like.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
This is a big hit, Heather. We've had ups and downs,
as you know, but this is a big hit. I'm
really taking it personally. You try your hardest to get
things over line where you think there is a winner,
but I just can't get it. I can't get how
as New Zealanders, we're on one hand receiving huge dividends
from pricing these these companies seem to be milking the

(01:43):
system and then when it gets to paying it back
to the communities or if not these businesses that they're
working hard on our behalf, it just doesn't add up.
And I just can't get my head around. It all
took me out of overseas business. You know. We had
the Prime Minister going out overseas saying that we're open
for business, we want to double our you know through

(02:04):
as it were, and we've got all ingredients and tools
to do that. And then he's over Malaysia doing that
and in New Zealand owned by Malaysians. They're winding down
because they just can't compete.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
I'm getting texts from people saying that they're there talking
to a peer who District. Is that BEHP in Australia
have good paying jobs on offer and people are already
heading over Is that right?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, well that's the speculation that when we had a
public meeting recently that was discussed and there were people
already gone, that packed up and gone overseas because there's
a huge skill set there and people have got to
get on with their lives. You know. We had one
lady saying I've got to feed my babies and this
is not working. So yes, it's understandable that people are

(02:45):
moving on. They are talking with us overseas interests. I understand, West.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
And best of luck, Thank you for your time. That's
Western Curtain to do a pair who District mayor.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive listen live and
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