Holcim explores options, New Zealand

Holcim explores options, New Zealand
15 February 2007


Holcim board members have updated Buller Mayor Martin Sawyers and Buller District Council chief executive Gary Murphy on its investigation into cement supply options. 
 
Holcim will lodge resource consent applications for a proposed new plant at Weston, near Oamaru, within a month. 
 
The company is investigating several options to meet increased demand for cement in New Zealand -- to upgrade the existing Westport plant, import cement to supplement the Westport plant or import all cement, or to build a new plant at Weston or one of several Waikato sites. 
 
A decision on the location of a plant is not expected before next year and will be made by parent company Holcim. 
 
Sawyers said he had reassured Holcim’s directors that the council was committed to do everything possible to ensure Holcim remained in Westport. 
 
"I have spent considerable time over the past two years improving the relationship between the council and Holcim," he said. 
 
"That does not ensure that Holcim will remain in Westport. However, it does mean that we have a strong relationship on which to base future discussions." 
 
Published under Cement News