Public meeting called as Kaitāia faces possibility of losing its timber mills

Friday, 22 May 2026

A public meeting has been organised in Kaitāia amid concerns about the future of two of the Far North town’s timber mills.

Around 200 jobs could be lost in Kaitāia if Juken NZ’s Northland Mill and Triboard Mill close down.

A formal consultation process is set to end on Friday regarding the future of the two mills.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said he was mulling over a potential takeover of the mills.

A public meeting has been organised in Kaitāia for this weekend amid concerns about the future of two of the Far North town’s timber mills.

In late March, Japanese-owned Juken New Zealand Ltd announced a formal consultation process over the future of its Northland Mill and Triboard Mill.

Juken NZ Managing Director Hisayuki Tsuboi said they were exploring whether the mills could continue operating under a different structure, including a potential sale or joint venture.

Kaitāia faces the potential closure of two of its mills.

“We are taking the mills to market to assess whether there is interest from potential buyers,” he said.

Tsuboi said the move reflected a “combination of ongoing structural and market pressures” affecting their operations, including “declining demand” in key export markets and increasing operating costs.

In a statement on its website, Tsuboi said the company had been working over several years to improve the financial performance at the Kaitāia sites, including by increasing production and exploring new markets.

“Despite these efforts, we have not been able to return the mills to a sustainable footing under their current operating model,” Tsuboi said.

“Our focus is on testing whether there is a viable pathway that would allow the mills to continue operating and to preserve employment where possible.”

Hundreds of jobs at stake

Hundreds of jobs are on the line from the potential closures.

The company has already been engaging with employees and unions as part of the consultation process, which is set to end at 4pm on Friday, alongside the period for any potential buyers to express interest in the mills.

In a statement on Friday, the company told Stuff that no decisions had yet been made.

“We will then take time to review employee and union feedback, and assess any interest received. This is expected to take several weeks,” they said.

“While we are limited in what we can share right now due to the commercial nature of this process, we recognise the uncertainty this creates and are committed to providing an update as soon as a decision is reached.”

With the future of the mills uncertain, Workers First Union has organised a meeting for Saturday, with mill workers, community members, iwi, and political leaders invited.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says he is “chewing” over buying the mills.

The union says that Kaitāia faces the potential loss of 200 jobs if the mills close, which would have a “devastating effect” on both the local industry and the wider community.

Mayor mulls takeover

The situation with the mills has even caught the eye of officials in Auckland, with Mayor Wayne Brown telling RNZ earlier this week that he was considering buying them.

Brown, who was formerly Far North Mayor and has multiple business interests in the area, said he was “chewing it over”.

Over the last two years, six wood processing facilities have closed across New Zealand, including the Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa and the Eves Valley Sawmill near Nelson.

Juken NZ said operations at the Kaitāia mills are continuing as normal, with no immediate changes to production or customer arrangements.

The company operates three mills in New Zealand, two in the far north and one in Wairarapa.

Stuff has approached Workers First Union for comment. Brown’s office declined to provide a comment, given the issue was not related to his role as mayor.