Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) has announced today it will close its Eves Valley sawmill in Brightwater, bringing an end to operations that have run since the 1980s and putting 142 people out of work. The closure is part of CHH’s plan to consolidate structural timber manufacturing at its Kawerau site in the Bay of Plenty.
E tū delegate Maria Hemara says the announcement is devastating.
“I’m feeling devastated, I feel like I’ve lost my whole family. We work together for 40 hours a week, we’ve built friendships, and it’s all being taken away. It’s like going to your own funeral.
“I’ll be looking for jobs – I’ve tried supermarkets, and other mills around here. If not, I’ll have to go temping something.
“I think it will be a burden for the whole community. They will share our grief. The loss of jobs and productivity in the region isn’t good for anyone.”
E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh says CHH’s move is a strategic decision that ignores the human cost.
“This isn’t a company going broke – they’ve chosen to centralise operations in Kawerau. But we’re talking about people’s lives here, and it’s cold comfort for more than 140 workers who are now facing unemployment in a region already hit hard,” Rachel says.
“These workers, many of whom have put decades of their lives into the mill, are now caught in the crossfire of a corporate decision. E tū will do everything we can to support our members through this difficult time. We’re calling on CHH to do the same, and we also expect the Government to step up.
“Instead of shrugging its shoulders at rising unemployment, the Government must be part of the solution, with targeted support for affected workers and communities.”