The Kinleith mill in Tokoroa Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod
Green MP Tamatha Paul says there's a feeling of hope and determination in Tokoroa after last night's 'Save our Mill' meeting.
Paul is from the small town and said she and her staff helped provide administrative support for the event, drawing about 500 people out during stormy weather to hear about the proposed closure of paper production at Kinleith Mill, affecting 230 jobs.
Several other politicians attended, including New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, and Social Development Minister Louise Upston.
Paul said Tokoroa welcomed the politicians but the small town had a healthy amount of scepticism for politics. She said workers were at first concerned, but that changed over the evening.
"It turned into hope and determination, I'd say, is the key word from the day. We're determined to not let our hometown crumble and to remain resilient and strong despite all of the different forces at play."
Paul said about four workers spoke, laying out their concerns and their hopes for Tokoroa.
"You know, Tokoroa's resilient and we've been through this before, but still we stand as a community. And so this is no different but we do need the government's support to get us through this."
She said it was also important to validate workers' concerns about underinvestment in the mill, and to recognise the value of the working people to New Zealand.
Campaign spokesperson and current Kinleith Mill employee Kyle Pourau shared Paul's optimism, and is eager to develop a plan alongside Peters to keep the mill running.
"Not any hardline promises, but Winston Peters said a lot of good stuff, so hopefully we can work with him to come up with a solution," he told Midday Report.
Pourau said everyone on the floor had great ideas, and he hoped the government could help them realise those.
Pourau, his father and sister are all directly affected by the proposed closure, but he remains determined to change the course with the deadline approaching in the New Year.
"The proposal hasn't yet been confirmed. We find out at the end of January if the numbers they've proposed are going to actually lose their job, so we've got a bit of time to hopefully work with the company to come up with a solution," he said.
At the meeting, Peters spoke to the threat of energy price instability, saying there would be more closures to come if the government did not react in the right way, his speech notes showed.
He said the proposed job cuts would see a devastation for Tokoroa's community, and that New Zealand First believed targeted government intervention was sometimes necessary to ensure the survival of a business and community for the sake of New Zealand's long-term economy.
He said if a solution was not found it would affect not just Tokoroa, but Waikato and the rest of New Zealand, and he had come to talk to those who mattered - the workers.
There was little in the way of firm commitments, however, beyond a promise to speak with and hear from the unions, workers, leaders of the community, and employers.
A spokesperson for Peters clarified that would include conversations with Oji Fibre over the ensuing weeks.
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