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October 02, 2025
Tokoroa plywood plant closure a blow to regional jobs
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On October 2, 2025
Download AudioMore than 100 workers at Carter Holt Harvey’s Tokoroa plywood plant are facing job losses, in another blow to regional manufacturing.
Union leader Tane Phillips says the closure is devastating for a community already struggling with limited job options.
“It is a real, you know, dagger in the heart of Tokoroa, I would say. I mean, I’ve been through it in Kawerau with Kinleith closing a part of their production, and now this plywood mill. There isn’t many more jobs left in manufacturing in the central North Island now,” says Phillips.
He says the emotional toll is heavy, especially for long-serving staff with families and mortgages.
Phillips is calling for better retraining and support systems to help workers transition into new industries.
“This government goes on about wanting to kickstart the economy. Well, it seems to me that they want a low-wage economy. So this is why a lot of our whānau are going to Australia. They’re looking for the better paying conditions and employment for them and their whānau,” says Phillips.
The plywood plant is scheduled to close in November after a two-week consultation period.
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