Whakatāne township has been hit hard with tourism drying up since Whakaari / White Island erupted in December 2019. The mill’s Swiss owner SIG has announced that a consortium led by Dr Dermot Smurfit, a European investor with long experience in paper packaging, is in talks with it to buy the mill. Nash said the body's focus would be on tree planting, wood processing and biofuels. “By retaining more wood processing onshore, we create local jobs and further support rural communities. “Wood processing plants offer the opportunity to create high-tech, high-value products and by-products to diversify the income streams of foresters."

Source: Stuff May 13, 2021 22:41 UTC