29 October 2000 Media Statement

Government champions high-value export industries

The Government champions high-value export industries because the reward is more jobs and rising incomes for New Zealanders, Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton told a mining conference in Wellington tonight.

He is assuring export businesses and industries that have the greatest potential to grow that they have a champion in Government.

"I have a commitment to working in partnership with industry. To ensuring that the Government plays its role in facilitating the expansion and success of exporting industries.

"It is no longer enough to export bales of wool, frozen meat carcasses or container loads of dairy fat. It is no longer good enough for our forestry industry simply to grow trees and export raw logs.

"The challenge for all of those industries is to export high-value processed products.
We have to develop world-class processing capability, in turning logs into paper, furniture, housing and other high-value wood products.

"The same logic applies to the mining and minerals industry. We need to develop world-class minerals processing capability. Just as the export of raw logs is an economic failure, so too is the export of unprocessed minerals.

"If there is anything that the Government should be doing to smoothe the development of industry in a balanced way, you should contact me. As both the Deputy Prime Minister and as the Minister for Economic Development I am determined to see Government and industry work in partnership to clear the roadblocks in the way of development," Jim Anderton told the mining conference.

ENDS

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