By the end of the year, Millari Mill will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, turning out a minimum of 80,000cu m of LVL, 100,000cu m of timber and 10,000cu m of plywood each year.
The products will be used in the building industry in New Zealand, but will mainly be filling a huge demand in the Australian market.
Wilson was the last one out, locking the door when the mill shut down in March 2024 with the loss of around 60 jobs.
He said it was exciting to be part of the comeback and that he regularly told his staff: “Look back over your shoulders, see what we’ve achieved.”
Wilson said: “This mill is a huge part of the community and a lot of people have had a passion to bring it back to its glory days.”
The mill’s peeling machine was operational for the first time since 2016 and the boiler’s smokestack was puffing again – a couple of examples of things some people said would never happen again, Wilson said.
The peeling machine is used to produce LVL – one of the strongest and most sought-after building materials used for structural elements like beams.
“The staff here are all doing a great job,” True Blue Timber general manager William Truscott said.
“We’re here for the long term, so that’s good for this community because the stability is there.”
Truscott said they chose Gisborne because the old JNL mill was available for sale. When True Blue Timber got the keys in February this year, it hadn’t been operational for 12 months.
“We’re happy to have been able to revive the mill. There have been a couple of big losses in this community, including the recent closure of Columbine with around 45 jobs.
“We’re a positive and there will be more positions coming up. We haven’t bought this business to create a market for it – we’ve got the market. Everything is already sold to dozens of customers. There is huge demand.”
Australia is facing a significant housing demand and its Government is aiming to build 1.2 million homes by 2030. Tairāwhiti-grown timber will be used to help build these.
Sydney-based Truscott flies to Gisborne once a month to check in on the day-to-day operations.
True Blue chief executive Ryan Yaris also makes a monthly trip to Gisborne.
Truscott said they were also in talks with Eastland Port about the finished products being shipped directly from Gisborne to Sydney.
The product is trucked to ports in Napier and Tauranga, but when Eastland Port’s Twin Berth project is finished, there is scope to have it shipped from Gisborne.
Eastland Port chief executive Andrew Gaddum said it was fantastic to see this kind of investment and confidence in Tairāwhiti.
“We’re excited to be working with Millari Mill and others in the forestry sector to support the export of locally processed timber, keeping more value in our region.”
Eastland Wood Council chairman Julian Kohn said the reopening of Millari Mill was a milestone moment for Tairāwhiti.
“It shows the resilience of our community. To see 109 local jobs created and high-value processing happening right here in Gisborne is exactly the kind of investment we need in the forestry industry.
“It keeps more of the value of our forests in our region, supporting families and building long-term stability.
“This is not just a mill reopening, it’s a signal of confidence in our people, our resources and our future.
“This is the level of investment we need to grow this region’s economy and the wellbeing of our community.”
– Sophie Rishworth is a freelance writer for Eastland Wood Council
