Fire-hit town fears for future

The blaze at the Silver Fern Farms meat processing plant has left Te Aroha locals worried for their future. Photo / NZPA

Worried meat workers may know tomorrow what the future holds for them.

Silver Fern Farms chief executive Keith Cooper said staff would get a comprehensive range of options at a meeting at the Te Aroha Rugby Club. One option was transferring to other meat works.

"The focus is on how we maintain employment," Cooper said.

He said the extent of the damage was unknown at this stage, but it was possible the site could be rebuilt.

"We've only just got the site back so they're not able to get fully through it yet.

"Our sole focus at the moment is ongoing employment, which is about servicing our suppliers. The two go hand in hand.

"We have a great workforce there. They're committed and do a great job.

"We have a good supplier base in the region and we are in the meat business therefore this may well create an opportunity to have a world-class facility," said Cooper.

"That's an early call but we have a demand for the product, we have suppliers and we need facilities."

It was too early to say how long the 350 fulltime, seasonal staff would be paid.

"We are certainly not walking away from them but until we have had the meetings over the next 48 hours and land on a project plan, I can't just reel off various options."

The company had comprehensive insurance.

"They will certainly be paid next week. We are pretty confident our staff will be well looked after."

Although it was too soon to say what impact the fire would have on staff, there would be little or no disruption to processing of livestock, which was being moved to other plants.

Matamata-Piako Mayor Hugh Vercoe said the plant was a key part of the town and employed significant numbers of the 3500-strong community. "At this time of the year the fire is a double blow to them. They are looking forward to their Christmas holidays and relaxing and everything else and suddenly they've now got the unknown there," he said.

"It will be compounded by the closeness of Christmas. It will stop a lot of things from happening."

He said the community would pull together to see each other through. "There's a lot of volunteer organisations that can help them."

Vercoe said once it was known how long workers would be paid, Work and Income would be asked to step in.

Te Aroha has a history of setbacks, including the closure of the Bendon factory which saw 90 people losetheir jobs.

"The sad thing for the likes of Te Aroha if they decide to rebuild is, it's not the locals who will be getting the plumbing and electrical jobs," said Vercoe.

"We're deeply concerned about the effects that it will have on the families and we will be doing everything we can to help."